Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Charles Henry Barratt
Harold and Ivy Barratt had two children a son, Charles and daughter, Mona. Charles, born on the 28th February 1914 at Angaston, was named after his paternal grandfather. The family then settled in Waikerie in 1915 with Harold taking up orchard work then subsequently acquired his own fruit property on which the family resided. He was an original member of the Waikerie Brass Band and continued as a very keen bandsman for many years, until deafness precluded him playing. Charles also followed this interest and joined the band. As Charles was later to do, Harold was a keen lawn bowler and a member of the RAOB Lodge.
Charles successfully passed his postal examination in 1929. He married (Florence) Myrtle Pascoe on the evening of December 18th 1937 in the Kooringa Methodist Church in a widely reported ceremony. Charles’ sister Mona was the only attendant for Myrtle. Charles chose his friend Herbert Webber as his best man. (Herbert was later to also enlist as SX5429 to become a Warrant Officer Class 2 with the 2/43rd Infantry Battalion.) As Charles was a member of the Waikerie Brass Band, several members were present in uniform, and formed a guard of honor as the bridal party left the church. The young couple settled in Waikerie.
Aged 28, Charles enlisted on the 3rd of January, 1942. Being now a member of the local bowling club and one of two players who had enlisted, the club was then actively involved in a patriotic tournament held in February which raised £31/10/6 for the war funds.
Charles rose to become a Lance Corporal in the 2/48th Battalion before being discharged in December 1945. He enjoyed the next 18 months with his parents before his father died suddenly, aged 63 in June 1947 and his mother, Ivy in 1954 aged 62. Myrtle and Charles had two boys, Adrian and Neil and were later to enjoy grandchildren Steven and Narelle, then great grandchildren Georgina and Alexandra.
Writing in the Khamseen Kronicle, the Official Journal of the 2/48th Battalion, June 1990 edition, Charlie wrote
“After 46 years to the month (Feb) I had the opportunity to return to New Guinea in the company of my son Neil. The Papuan native staff were well dressed in skirts and shirts, but bare footed. What I found hard to believe was the conditions everyone was living under. All homes have 2.3 metre cyclone fences around them with coiled barbed wire on top, the whole area is floodlit and the entrances are securely gates.” He then describes how the security worked, road rules or the lack of and personal safety measures necessary if driving at night.
“We went out to Bomana where the last Kokoda Trail ends and where a monument was erected. The last lines on the plaque are:
‘TO STRIVE, TO SEEK AND TO FIND AND NOT TO YIELD’
He describes his visit to the Bomana War Cemetery where the headstones were of marble and the area with 4,000 graves was very well looked after, noticing several 2/27th Battalion headstones.
At the Lae Cemetery he paid his respects to several 2/48th Battalion Boys. SX15310 E.F.J. Jones, SX7890 M. Trengrove, SX8848 M.G. Beechen, SX 13461 H. Zacker, SX8894 Maj. R.L. Battey, SX 7410 R.F.G. Ranford. The names and numbers were engraved on brass plaques and the cemetery beautifully kept, a credit to the caretaker.
He also describes returning to Rabaul, now rebuilt into a fine place even though it had 20,000 tons of bombs dropped on it. The tunnels the Japs excavated into the hills was viewed with amazement. All told over 370 miles, with one still having 5 landing barges in it. At Kokopo he commented on the Japanese monument and museum, wondering “how it was possible to get the Nips out.”
Charles outlived Myrtle who died in 2001 aged 90. Both are buried in the Waikerie Cemetery.
Researched and written by Kaye lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133 2/48th