SKINNER, Charles Roy
| Service Number: | SX13111 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 1 April 1940, Adelaide |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 3rd Training Battalion |
| Born: | Thebarton, South Australia, 7 November 1920 |
| Home Town: | Hyde Park, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Waiter, Labourer, Soft Drinks Manufacturing |
| Died: | Daw Park, South Australia, Australia , 6 December 1979, aged 59 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Centennial Park Cemetery, South Australia Ashes interred in an unmarked location. |
| Memorials: |
World War 2 Service
| 1 Apr 1940: | Enlisted Adelaide | |
|---|---|---|
| 4 Jun 1941: | Enlisted Adelaide, SA | |
| 4 Jun 1941: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Private, SX13111 | |
| 13 Oct 1941: | Transferred 3rd Training Battalion | |
| 25 Oct 1941: | Discharged Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Private, SX13111 | |
| 23 Dec 1941: | Enlisted Wayville, SA |
In The Air Force
Charles Roy ('Roy') Skinner was born in Thebarton in Adelaide South Aust in 1920, and joined the Militia in April 1939 for a year, before enlisting for the RAAF in Adelaide in April 1940 as a Guard, where he spent time at Laverton before being transferred to the Air Observers School at Mt Gambier.
In June 1941 Roy was discharged from the RAAF for enlistment in the Army.
Submitted 4 September 2016 by Jan Edmonds
Biography contributed by Daniel Jones
Charles Roy Skinner was born on the 7th of November 1920 in Thebarton, SA. To Alfred Henry Skinner (a WWI Veteran) and Jane Hickey. Charles enlisted into the Royal Australian Air Force on the 1st of April 1940 aged 19 in Adelaide, SA. He stated that he had previously served for a year in the 10th Battalion as a Private, serving as a messman (pre-war service), and that he had a previous conviction for gambling in 1939. (This is only stated on his later records). He was assigned the service number 26133 as a guard. Charles was served at Laverton HQ before being transferred to the No. 2 Air Observer’s School in Mt Gambier. During his time serving in the RAAF, AC1 Skinner was in hospital from the 11th of June 1940 to the 2nd of September 1940, and was AWL many times, forfeiting many days of pay. Presumably, on the 2nd of April 1941, the RAAF had enough, and sent him under escort to Wayville Detention Camp for 28 days. On the 29th of April 1941 he was released from the Camp, and returned to his unit at the 2 A.O.S. Mt. Gambier under escort. Charles Skinner was discharged on the 4th of June 1941 due to his “services no longer [being] required”.
On the 4th of June 1941, Charles Roy Skinner, now calling himself Charles Ray Skinner and aged 20 years old enlisted into the A.I.F. being assigned the service number SX13111 and as a private. He stated his previous service with both the RAAF and the 10th Battalion. He was assigned to various roles at the 101 General Hospital and then the 3rd Training Btn. He was hospitalised on the 15th of July 1941 due to Pyelitis, before being charged on the 21st of July 1941 for being AWL from the 11th of July 1941 to the 14th of July. In August 1941 he was shuffled around between the 101 General Hospital to CH Woodside for duty and discipline as well as illness. On the 6th of September 1941 he was denied discharge, and on that same day married Edna Mary. Over September, he was shuffled around between the 101 General Hospital, RRD and the 3rd Training Btn. On the 30th of September 1941, he was transferred to the C. Hospital in Woodside suffering from ‘hysteria’ and having cuts on his forearm. On the 4th of October 1941 he was back with his unit, (3 TBn.), but was sent to hospital again on the 17th suffering from Bronchitis, before returning to his unit the same day. He was charged a few more times for being AWL in October before being transferred to the DD & RD for discharge on the 25th of October 1941. On the 26th of October a court of inquiry found that his wounds received on the 29th of September 1941 was not due to the conditions of his service and the injury was due to misconduct (self-inflicted).
On the 15th of December 1941, Charles Roy Skinner enlisted again into the army at Wayville, SA, this time being assigned to the 105th Adelaide Military Hospital as a private, stating that he had served previously in the 2nd 8th Field Ambulance and was discharged due to a nervous breakdown. He was assigned the service number S3270. Interestingly he is listed as ‘mentally backward’ on his forms. On the 9th of January 1942 he was admitted to C. Hospital Wayville suffering from an illness. On the 20th of January, he was again in hospital for an infection. On the 23rd of January 1942, Charles Skinner was transferred to the DD & RD Wayville and was discharged due to being medically unfit.
On the 9th of April 1942, Charles Skinner tried to enlist again into the army at Unley, SA. By now he was 21 years old. He stated that he had served 12 months in the 32 A.M.F. Citizen Forces and the 10th Battalion Adelaide Rifles, 135 days in the A.I.F. 3rd Training Battalion and 14 months in the R.A.A.F. as a nursing orderly. However, he was turned away this time as he was found to be medically unfit for service.
After being deemed medically unfit for military service, he served in the Civil Construction Corps in Darwin as a medical orderly during the Japanese bombing.
In 1959 he applied for his service badge and any medals that he would be entitled to. He was issued with the War Medal only, as that was the only one he was entitled to. In 1961, where he writes to the army records office stating that he lost his service badge in Adelaide in 1960, and asks for a replacement.
Due to the changing of medal eligibility criteria, he would now be entitled to the Australian Service Medal 1939-1945 and the Civilian Service Medal 1939-1945, however as I am not a descendant I cannot apply for them.
Charles Roy Skinner died on the 6th of December 1979 in Daw Park, South Australia, aged 59.
Sources: NAA Service records, StirringTheBonesBlogspot.
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