Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Casten Erichsen emigrated from Norway via London to Queensland in the year 1900 with his brother, John Birger Erichsen. In 1907 Carsen married Carolina Hansen-Christiansen at ”Stanhope” the Christiansen family home on Wellers Rd, Wooroolin. They had 6 children – Conrad, Esther, Roy, Irene, Wilfred and Keith.
Carsten Erichsen died young, just 46 years old, in 1926 and is buried at Tingoora Cemetery. Afbout the time of the death of her husband Caroline Erichsen, known as Carry, moved to a home in Andrew Street Wooroolin.
The Wooroolin WW11 Honour Board names at least 5 people directly related to Carry Erichsen – sons: Roy, Wilf & Keith, Son in Law: Bill Mackay & nephew: Charles Christiansen!
Roy Carsten Erichsen, born 23 Jul 1911 at Wooroolin per his army records, was probably educated at Tingoora. Roy played football with the Wooroolin Football club and is included in the 1931 Wooroolin Junior Football Team photo. In 1932, Roy was the Financial Secretary of the Wooroolin Football Club. He attended high School, probably at Kingaroy, for 18 months before being offered a position at the Queensland National Bank about 1927.
He was a Bank Clerk and worked through Queensland in Maryborough, Beaudesert & Alpha before joining 2/3 Australian Infantry Battalion at Warwick on 30 Jul 1943. Roy was just 4ft 9ins tall per his Army Records which are available on the NAA website. His records show that he served as an Army Clerk in various parts of Qld until Dec 1944 when he was sent to New Guinea where he remained until Jan 1946 before being sent back to Qld to be discharged.
Another learning curve for me on the duties of an Army Clerk! This extract from http://www.300thcombatengineersinwwii.com/hands.html “The role of the clerk typist in the 300th was key to all operations in combat. For military operations, documentation equals accountability. Almost everything was documented including the movements of troops, casualty information, unusual actions (both positive and negative), promotions, equipment/supply use, maintenance and many other bits of information. It was critical that the clerk typist be confidential, trustworthy and accurate.
One of the most important roles of the clerk was to process service and combat pay. Families on the home front relied on the payments sent home by troops in combat. Company orders for all activities, and all requisitions for fuel and supplies as well as requests to call up other units were all typed and filed by the company clerk. Equipment, transportation, supplies and men were only available with written orders.”
Roy returned to Wooroolin about 1950 when he married Nettie Fiedler. They lived in Wooroolin for a while and Roy is shown as a farmer in 1954 Electoral Rolls. By 1958 they lived in Maryborough where Roy won a lot of trophies for his rowing ability on the Mary River. Betty Fiedler remembers that Roy & Net left Maryborough because Net was sick with Asthma. They bought a caravan and moved to Roma with a drier climate in the hopes it would improve her Asthma. Roy then worked for the PMG and lived at Roma for many years where Net's health improved. Eventually they moved to live at Yandina, to be near their daughter Jenny when she married. Net died in 1985 and is buried at Taabinga Cemetery. Roy died in 1994 and is buried at Wondai Cemetery.