CHARLTON, John
| Service Number: | 1467 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 1 February 1901 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 5th Victorian Mounted Rifles |
| Born: | Euroa, Victoria, Australia, 1 June 1878 |
| Home Town: | Not yet discovered |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Farmer |
| Died: | Enteric Fever, The Imperial Yeomanry Hospital, Pretoria, South Africa, 16 August 1901, aged 23 years |
| Cemetery: |
Church Street Cemetery, Pretoria, South Africa |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Ballarat Boer War Memorial (Queen Victoria Square), Euroa Fallen of Euroa District Honour Roll, Euroa St. Paul's Anglican Church Original Charlton Memorial Window, Euroa St. Paul's Anglican Church Private John Charlton Memorial Window, Euroa War Memorial |
Boer War Service
| 1 Oct 1899: | Involvement Private, 1467 | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Oct 1899: | Involvement Private, 1467, 5th Victorian Mounted Rifles | |
| 1 Feb 1901: | Enlisted Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, Private, 1467, 5th Victorian Mounted Rifles | |
| 15 Feb 1901: | Embarked Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, Private, 1467, 5th Victorian Mounted Rifles, Embarked from Melbourne on the "Orient". | |
| 16 Aug 1901: | Discharged Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, Private, 1467, 5th Victorian Mounted Rifles, D.O.D. in Pretoria Hospital. |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Maurice Kissane
John Charlton was born in Victoria at Euroa in 1878. He was the son of Walter and Mary Charlton. John had seven siblings. He was working on his father's farm.
He had aquired land at Castle Creek near Euroa. He was still establishing himself as a farmer when he decided to enlist. He was a good horseman as evidenced by passing the strict riding tests to join 5VMR.
John enlisted to fight for King and Empire. He was motivated by a sense of duty. Hence did not want to sit the war out. He embarked on the "Orient", with a mere two weeks training before departure. For this was a mounted war and bushvelt tactics were irregular.
Hence recruits were selected based upon their well developed bushmen skills. For these skills were transferable from the bush to the velt.
However, diseases such as enteric fever claimed about half the Boer War casualties. John died in a military hosptial in Pretoria. He had served for six months.
He was buried in Pretoria's Church Street Cemetery.
John qualified for the QSA with four clasps. He also quite uniquiely received a stained glass window as a permanent memorial in St Paul's Anglican Church in Euroa. Lest We Forget.
Reference: 'A Matter of Honour' 5VMR Book page 324. 1st Ed. 2017.
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