Charles Henry FORREST

FORREST, Charles Henry

Service Number: 5083
Enlisted: 19 January 1916, Liverpool, Sydney, NSW
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 2nd Infantry Battalion
Born: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, November 1895
Home Town: Epping, Parramatta, New South Wales
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Cellar-man
Died: 1967, cause of death not yet discovered, place of death not yet discovered
Cemetery: Not yet discovered
Memorials:
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World War 1 Service

19 Jan 1916: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 5083, 2nd Infantry Battalion, Liverpool, Sydney, NSW
1 Apr 1916: Involvement Private, 5083, 2nd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '7' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: SS Makarini embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: ''
1 Apr 1916: Embarked Private, 5083, 2nd Infantry Battalion, SS Makarini, Sydney
22 Aug 1916: Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 5083, 2nd Infantry Battalion, Mouquet Farm
4 May 1917: Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 5083, 2nd Infantry Battalion, Bullecourt (Second)
20 Sep 1917: Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 5083, 2nd Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres
12 Apr 1918: Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 5083, 2nd Infantry Battalion, German Spring Offensive 1918
21 Apr 1918: Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 5083, 2nd Infantry Battalion, German Spring Offensive 1918, Severe gunshot wounds to his chest, face, and right eye

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Biography contributed by Stuart Walkley

Great uncle Charles Henry Forrest worked as a cellar-man in Sydney, and enlisted in the 1st AIF in January 1916 at age 21. He was part of the 16th reinforcements for the 2nd Battalion in the 1st Division. He left Sydney in April 1916, arrived in Egypt in May, then arrived at the port of Etaples in northern France in August 1916, and was assigned to C Company in the 2nd Battalion when he arrived at the front 10 days later. His Division was involved in several major battles while he was with them, including the Battle of Bullecourt, the Third Battle of Ypres, and the Battle of Hazebrouck. He was wounded in action on 21 April 1918 during the defence against the German Spring Offensive, and received severe gunshot wounds to his chest, face, and right eye. His war record includes 5 letters from the army sent to his mother on his condition and location. He was invalided from his unit a month later, and treated at King George Hospital in London. He was returned to Sydney in April 1919, married in 1919, and died in 1967 at age 71-72. 

Awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal.

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