MEERS, Charles John
| Service Number: | 3152 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 5 August 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 3rd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia , date not yet discovered |
| Home Town: | Sydney, City of Sydney, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Fort Street Model School, Upper Fort Street Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Engineer |
| Died: | Lithgow, New South Wales, Australia , 27 May 1971, cause of death not yet discovered, age not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Macquarie Park Cemetery & Crematorium, North Ryde, New South Wales |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 5 Aug 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3152, 18th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Dec 1915: | Involvement Private, 3152, 18th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '12' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Suevic embarkation_ship_number: A29 public_note: '' | |
| 20 Dec 1915: | Embarked Private, 3152, 18th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Suevic, Sydney | |
| 25 Jan 1919: | Involvement AIF WW1, Corporal, 3rd Infantry Battalion |
Service History
3rd Australian Infantry Battalion
The 3rd Battalion was among the first infantry units raised for the AIF during the First World War. Like the 1st, 2nd and 4th Battalions it was recruited from New South Wales and, together with these battalions, formed the 1st Brigade. The 1st to 9th Battalions formed the 1st Division or 1ANZAC as known on the Western Front in Belgium and France.
The Battalion was raised within a fortnight of the declaration of war in August 1914 and embarked just two months later. After a brief stop in Albany, Western Australia, the Battalion proceeded to Egypt, arriving on 2 December. The Battalion took part in the ANZAC landing on 25 April 1915 as part of the second and third waves and served there until the evacuation in December. In August, the battalion took part in the attack on Lone Pine. For his valorous action in defending Sasse's Sap at Lone Pine on 9 August, Private John Hamilton was awarded the Victoria Cross. After the withdrawal from Gallipoli, the battalion returned to Egypt.
Jack Meers had enlisted in the AIF 18th Battalion on 8th August 1915 and after training sailed on HMAT Suevic to join as a reinforcement the 3rd Battalion in Egypt in December 1915.
In March 1916, on the HMAT Grampian the Battalion sailed for France and the Western Front. From then until 1918 the Battalion took part in operations against the German Army, principally in the Somme Valley in France and around Ypres in Belgium. The Battalion's first major action in France was at Pozieres in the Somme Valley in July 1916.
Jack was, shortly after this battle, wounded in the left leg and evacuated to England to recover.
He re-joined his Battalion in June 1917 in fighting around Ypres, Flanders Belgium. During this period in Belgium Jack was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) for courage & bravery in the Battle of Polygon Wood on 4th October 1917.
The battles of Poelcappelle and Passchendaele followed.
In November 1917 Jack was again evacuated to England having contracted trench foot from long term open wound exposure to mud & bacteria in water laden trenches.
On recovery he re-joined the Battalion, again, in France in May 1918 and fought until 27th July 1918 when relapsing again with trench foot he was returned to England.
In readiness on recovery to return to France, armistice was declared on 11th November 1918 and when the guns fell silent
Between November 1918 and May 1919 the men of the 3rd Battalion returned to Australia for demobilization and discharge and return to family life.
Jack was one of the lucky ones. With five close relatives he returned from WWI, the war to end all wars.
Submitted 9 October 2024 by PETER MEERS
Click images to start slideshow.