Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Charlie was born at Percyton (which later became Barunga Gap) on 9 Dec 1893 to William Whiting and Alice Whiting (nee Foster). He was the sixth eldest of 10 children in the family, 6 boys and 4 girls. His father was a farmer, arriving in Australia from UK in 1883 and settling on the Yorke Peninsula, initially at Percyton and then Moorowie, before moving to Butler in 1905 and purchasing 4000 acres (approx 1600 Ha).
Charlie went to school at Butler; he and the four youngest of the children walking the 4 miles to and from school daily. On completion of schooling he took employ on the family farm where he remained until enlistment in the Army. At this time he listed his occupation as farmer and his home town as Tumby Bay.
He was then sent to 2nd Depot Battalion (Bn) for recruit training, on completion of which he was posted to 4th Reinforcements/16th Bn in Dec 1914 and then undertook further training. On 1 Apr 1915 he embarked at Adelaide aboard HMAT "Port Lincoln", disembarking at Alexandria some weeks later and was immediately admitted to 17th Army General Hospital with German measles. He remained in hospital for over a month before being released to his unit, but had a relapse so back to hospital in Mustapha before being again released. On 3 Nov 1915 he embarked at Alexandria aboard HMAT "Transylvania" for Gallipoli, arriving on 9 Nov 1915 and rejoining his unit.
The 16th Bn which had been raised on 16 Sep 1914, only 6 weeks after the outbreak of war, consisted of recruits from WA and SA formed part of the 4th Brigade. The Bn landed at Gallipoli late on the afternoon of 25 Apr 1915. A week after the landing the 16th was thrown into the attack on Bloody Angle suffering heavy casualties. From May to August the battalion was heavily involved in establishing and defending the front line of the ANZAC beachhead, and in August the 4th Brigade attacked Hill 971. The hill was taken at great cost, although Turkish reinforcements forced the Australians to withdraw
He, with his Bn, withdrew from Gallipoli in Dec 1915 aboard "Ascaneas", travelling via Mudros to Alexandria, where the unit undertook further training and reorganisation. On 1 Jun 1916 he embarked with his unit at Alexandria bound for Marseilles (Fr), arriving on 9 Jun 1916.
On 29 Aug 1916 he was wounded in action with gunshot wounds to face, neck and left side during the latter stages of the Battle of Pozieres. He was evacuated to 13th Stationary Hospital at Bologne (Fr) where his wounds were categorised as severe, but just over a month later he was released from hospital for convalescence, before rejoining his unit rear details at Etaples (Fr) in Oct 1916.
The Bn suffered heavy losses at Bullecourt in Apr 1917, when it attacked strong German positions without the promised tank support. It was during this attack that he was posted as Missing in Action on 11 Apr 1917
Five months later, on 19 Sep 1917, it was confirmed that he was a Prisoner of War in Germany, having been captured at Reincourt (Fr); his family were notified accordingly. The stress during this period must have been immense!
On 25 Dec 1918 he was released and returned from Germany to UK, where he was immediately granted leave. As part of his rehabilitation he undertook a Motor Engineering course, in between visits to hospital for medical attention.
On 5 Jan 1920 he embarked from UK aboard SS "Cap Verde" for return to Australia, disembarking at Adelaide on 22 Feb 1920. There again followed a period of medical assessments, including one report from a Medical Officer that stated "Gunshot wounds shoulder, face and left leg - no disability". They were really tough at that time! Charlie took his discharge on 23 Apr 1920 and returned to Barunga Gap and lived with the family.
It can't have all been hard work, as he met and married Vera Stirling at Kent Town Methodist Church in 1927. He had also applied for a Soldier Settlers block and this was granted soon after he was married: his block was 960 acres (approx 400 Ha) near Snowtown in the Hd of Barunga, Sects 579, 580 and 581.
The couple raised 2 children, a boy and a girl at this location. The boy, Don, still lives in the original house on the block. Charlie remained on this block for nearly 50 years until his health began to fail when he was admitted to Daw Park Repatriation Hospital. He died on 14 Oct 1970 and is buried at Barunga Gap Cemetery and rests beside his wife, who died before him on 19 Jul 1967.