FOWLER, Hartley Charles
| Service Number: | 5697 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 12 April 1916, at Adelaide |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 48th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Tanunda, South Australia, Australia, May 1896 |
| Home Town: | Tanunda, Barossa, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Memorials: | Tanunda Roll of Honor |
World War 1 Service
| 12 Apr 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 5697, 10th Infantry Battalion, at Adelaide | |
|---|---|---|
| 27 Jun 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 5697, 10th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Barambah embarkation_ship_number: A37 public_note: '' | |
| 27 Jun 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 5697, 10th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Barambah, Melbourne | |
| 28 Mar 1918: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 5697, 48th Infantry Battalion, German Spring Offensive 1918, GSW face, head, thighs |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Saint Ignatius' College
Soldier Biography:
Hartley Charles Fowler is one of the thousands of men that enlisted to serve Australia in World War 1. He was born in approximately May 1896 and lived in Tanunda, South Australia prior to his time serving in the war. Before enlisting at age 19 he lived with his mother Sarah Fowler in Australia. In his time before going off to war Hartley Charles was a labourer and would have done different physically demanding types of work. He also was a part of the Congregationalist religion. Many of these may have been contributing factors to why he chose to serve in the war, being he was single, a hard worker and also because many men wanted to do right by their country.
On the 27th of June 1916, Hartley embarked from Melbourne, Victoria on the H.M.A.T Barambah A37 to train before the war. Hartley Charles being young at 19, fit from working as a labourer prior to the war and not having the fear of losing children or supporting a wife holding him back probably would have made it easier for him in the training and battle areas for him mentally and physically. Training was especially hard for the soon to be soldiers to get ready for battle because nearly all of the men were volunteers including Hartley Charles. Hartley went initially to England for training but soon afterwards proceeded to France, and the war.
Hartley then proceeded to join the 48th battalion for reinforcements in Etaples, France on the 19th of October 1916. Etaples was a well-known British camp for soldiers on their way to war. Hatley marched for a while here before getting sent off into the field. The conditions of war were very harsh for everyone involved and it was very easy to get wounded in battle or sick from the poor living conditions. Hartley was admitted to hospital sick on the 16th of December 1916 and stayed in hospital until the 5th of January 1917 when he came back to base and marched in Etaples again. He later then rejoined his unit with the 48th battalion on the 2nd of February 1917. He continued to fight in the field until he became sick with diphtheria, a serious infection of the nose and throat. He was placed in hospital again on 2nd of January 1918 and later rejoined his unit on the 2nd of February 1918.
On the 28th of March 1918, Hartley was wounded in action with shrapnel wounds to his face, head and thighs. He was then taken back to England on the 2nd of April and spent several months recvovering in England. He rejoined his unit on 27th September 1918. When he joined the 48th battalion again they were in Revelles moving off to the brigade parade grounds for inspection. He stayed with his battalion in France fighting and training until he was discharged and was able to return to Australia on the 2nd of June 1919.
For fighting in the war, Hartley Charles also received the British War Medal and the Victory Medal when discharged form service.