Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Seymour Nigel Alwyn Charlesworth was a young French polisher from Norwood, who enlisted to serve in WWI as an 18-year-old after presenting the written permission of his parents. Seymour served as 3056 in the Australian Prov Corps with the 27th Infantry Battalion. While in France, Seymour, known as Alwyn, was later wounded in action in France, with shrapnel embedded in his back. While recovering he met 20-year-old Agnes Romanis, a munitions worker, in Edinburgh, Scotland. Both Agnes and Lance Corporal Alwyn were 20 years old, when they married on the 17th April 1918 in her hometown. The following year their first child, James Basil Everard was born in Edinburgh on the 26th March 1919. The young family returned to South Australia to live, with Alwyn being discharged in October.
Both events were proudly posted in the Adelaide newspapers Advertiser Thursday 12 June 1919, CHARLESWORTH—ROSMANIS.—On the 17th April, 1918, at 22, Murrayfield-avenue, by the Rev. S. McLennan, Roseburn U.F Church, S.N., Alwyn, Charlesworth, A.I.F., youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. J. B. E. Charlesworth, Norwood, S.A., to Agnes, youngest daughter of Robert Romanis, Edinburgh. And the second announcement: CHARLESWORTH.—On the 26th March, at 11, Watson-crescent, Edinburgh, to Lance-Corporal and Mrs. Alwyn Charlesworth—a son. The young couple lived in Norwood and were soon to quickly add four more children to their family, including Ena May in September ’21, Joyce in November ’25 and Shirley in ’34. Life was a struggle for the young parents as Alwyn was out of work. Agnes attempted to provide for the young family in whatever way she could but the marriage eventually disintegrated. (Having struggled on her own for quite some time, Agnes was granted a divorce as WWII came to an end.)

Post school, James worked as a driver and joined the Militia as A544806. Early on he experienced ‘fluid on the knee’, a condition that would continue to affect his later service. With the outbreak of WWII he resigned enabling him to enlist as a 21year old on the 25th November ’40. He was given the number SX10365, before travelling to Terowie in the mid-north as part of an advanced party. By the end of May he was allocated to the 2/48th Battalion Reinforcements. (His 43 years old father also enlisted in Victoria as V11099, in February ’41, but was discharged as medically unfit in December that year.)
By April, James was on his way to the Middle East, arriving on the 14th May ’41.as the siege of Tobruk was underway. Training at the Amiriya Camp followed but James had several bouts of hospitalisation over June, including several attacks of gastroenteritis. Despite the conditions, James was to become one of the highly respected and admired Rats of Tobruk. Originally designed to destroy morale, the troop were derided for living ‘like rats’ in the hand-hewn dugouts, beset by flies, dust, heat and primitive conditions. Typically, the soldiers quickly claimed the title as an enduring badge of honour.
Eventually James was classified as being fit for ‘duties other than active service with field formations’ and joined the 2/7th Australian General Hospital in May ’42. Unfortunately, within months, in August he sustained a foot injury followed soon after with a dislocation to his knee. Fortunately, he was soon on his way back to Australia via Melbourne, arriving at the end of February ’43. With James in the 2/7th, training in Queensland soon followed before he headed to New Guinea in July for service in the very humid, tropical setting. He contracted dengue fever, causing him to be hospitalised for several days. Over the following months high fever, malaria and a return of dengue fever continued to make challenging conditions as well as on-going problems with James’ left knee (synovitis) later identified as a fracture to the patella (this bone was eventually removed.) . His frustration was clearly evident when in October’45 James attracted a fine of 10/- for language used towards a superior officer.
Finally, James was able to return to Australia in December’45 aboard a hospital ship. He was amongst the last group of servicemen to be discharged on the 23rd April ’46.
Jim met a widow, Hazel Whitford, whose husband, Jack had died in May ’45. Hazel and Jim married in St Paul’s Church on Pultney Street on July 6th that year, with three-year-old Malcolm becoming part of their family.
James died on the 29th June ’94 and is remembered at the Garden of Remembrance, Centennial Park Cemetery.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.