CHURCH, Chester Cecil
| Service Number: | 635 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 2 July 1915, An original of C Company |
| Last Rank: | Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | 30th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, 23 January 1891 |
| Home Town: | Sydney, City of Sydney, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Jersey College, Channel Islands, England |
| Occupation: | Ship Steward |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Fromelles, France, 20 July 1916, aged 25 years |
| Cemetery: |
VC Corner Cemetery and Memorial, Fromelles, France Panel 2, VC Corner Australian Cemetery and Memorial, Fromelles, Lille, Nord Pas de Calais, France |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, V.C. Corner Australian Cemetery Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 2 Jul 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Lance Sergeant, 635, 30th Infantry Battalion, An original of C Company | |
|---|---|---|
| 9 Nov 1915: | Involvement 635, 30th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '16' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Beltana embarkation_ship_number: A72 public_note: '' | |
| 9 Nov 1915: | Embarked 635, 30th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Beltana, Sydney | |
| 20 Jul 1916: | Involvement Sergeant, 635, 30th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 635 awm_unit: 30th Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Sergeant awm_died_date: 1916-07-20 | |
| Date unknown: | Involvement 30th Infantry Battalion, Fromelles (Fleurbaix) |
Help us honour Chester Cecil Church's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Stephen Brooks
Australian born to English parents, he was a pupil at Victoria College in Jersey, for around 3-4 years in the early 1900s before returning to Australia when he was about 20 years of age. His mother said on his Roll of Honour form he had been awarded a Life Saving medal.
Missing, 20 July 1916.
'Identification Disc received from Germany. No particulars were afforded except that Soldier was deceased. May now be reported "KILLED IN ACTION" 20/7/16.'
Communication from Berlin (file p. 24): 'austr. Sold. Church. c. 30. Batt. Nr. 835. am 19.7.16 in Gegend Fromelles gefallen'.
Red Cross File No 730708 has statement from 289 Pte S.W. STRIKE, 30th Bn (patient. Woodcote Park, Epsom, England), 13 September 1916: 'I saw him killed by shell fire just outside his trench at Fleurbaix Fromelles.'
Second statement, 1305 Pte C.G. LAVENDER (patient, 35th General Hospital, Calais), 3 October 1916: 'Sergeant W. Fox, C. Co, 30th Battalion, saw him dead at Fromelles on the 20th July 1916.'
Third statement, 925 Pte N. McKAY (patient, Rust Hall Hospital, Tunbridge Wells), 10 October 1916: 'Informant states that Sergt. Butterworth, 30th Australians, D. Coy, had told him in Rust Hall Hospital that Church was killed alongside him on July 19th.'
Fourth statement, 1575 Pte P.J. KRESTENSEN, 30th Bn (patient, 20th General Hospital, France), 9 November 1916: 'I saw him and his platoon go into a sap where later on I saw him, with most of his men, compelled to surrender. This was at Fromelles on July 19th.'
Fifth statement, 8 Pte A. WALKER, 30th Bn (patient, 3rd London General Hospital, Wandsworth, England) ('Eyewtiness'), 18 November 1916: 'On July 19th, at Fromelles, near Armentieres, Church was killed by shell, but could not be brought in.'
Biography contributed by Geoffrey Gillon
Sergeant Church served with the 30th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. Service No:635.
His brother, Sapper Theodore Mark Church also fell whilst serving with British forces. He was with the Reserve Signal Depot Royal Engineers Service No:30832 and was laid to rest in Netley Military Cemetery, England. [Died 02/04/1915]
They were sons of Augustus Mark and Susannah Louisa Church (nee Aplin), of 130, Cavendish St., Stanmore, New South Wales.
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