BEAUCHAMP, Charles Gordon
| Service Number: | 8409 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 1 June 1915, Adelaide, South Australia |
| Last Rank: | Gunner |
| Last Unit: | 6th Field Artillery Brigade |
| Born: | Naracoorte, South Australia, 15 April 1896 |
| Home Town: | Mount Gambier, Mount Gambier, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Mount Gambier High School |
| Occupation: | Postman |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Somme, France, 7 August 1916, aged 20 years |
| Cemetery: |
Gordon Dump Cemetery, Ovillers-la Boisselle Plot I; Row A; Grave 26, Gordon Dump Cemetery, Ovillers la Boisselle, Picardie, France |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Adelaide Officers of S.A. Post, Telegraph and Telephone Department Great War Roll of Honor, Adelaide Postmaster General's Department WWI Honour Board , Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Mount Gambier High School Great War Roll of Honor, Mount Gambier Knight & Cleve Pictorial Honour Rolls |
World War 1 Service
| 1 Jun 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Gunner, 8409, Adelaide, South Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 22 Nov 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Gunner, 8409, 6th Field Artillery Brigade , --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '4' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Persic embarkation_ship_number: A34 public_note: '' | |
| 23 Jul 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Gunner, 8409, 6th Field Artillery Brigade , Battle for Pozières |
Late Signaller C G Beauchamp
Mr. C. Beauchamp, of Mount Gambier, received a telegram on Tuesday night, informing him that his son, Charles Gordon Beauchamp, had been killed in France on August 6. The deceased was under 21 years of age, and was a bright and manly young fellow. 'Chump' as he was familiarly called, after leaving the Mount Gambier High School, entered the local post office, and after some years' service there was transferred to the G.P.O. Adelaide. He enlisted in the city.
Submitted 7 February 2016 by Faithe Jones
Biography contributed by Graeme Roulstone
8409 Charles Gordon BEAUCHAMP (Killed in action 7 August 1916)
GONE WEST TO GOD & ETERNAL LIFE J.& C.B.
Charles Gordon Beauchamp was born at Naracoorte, South Australia, on 15 April 1896, to Charles and Jessie Emma Beauchamp. He had attended school at Naracoorte before being enrolled at Mount Gambier High School on 25 January 1909 by Walter Beauchamp, livery stable manager, of Jane Street, Mount Gambier (1). He had a twin brother Frank who was also enrolled at Mount Gambier High School on the same day. He left school briefly in September 1912 but was re-enrolled in November, finally leaving on 6 June 1913, (2) then joined the local post-office where he worked for several years before being transferred to the G.P.O., Adelaide (3). He had served 3 years with school cadets, 3 years with the senior cadets, 74th Battalion, and then had transferred to the Field Artillery and was still serving at the time he enlisted.
He enlisted in Adelaide on 14 June 1915 (19, postman, single, Presbyterian), naming his mother, Mrs Jessie Emma Beauchamp of Mount Gambier as his next of kin, and embarked from Melbourne on the ‘Persic’ on 22 November as a gunner attached to the 18th Battery of the 6th Field Artillery Brigade, disembarking at Suez in Egypt on 21 December. He embarked again at Alexandria in Egypt on 17 March 1916 and disembarked at Marseilles in France on 23 March.
His unit was based near Bois Grenier from 4 April to 3 July 1916, after which they handed the covering of the line over to another Australian artillery unit, before being based briefly near Neuve Eglise, there being replaced by the 107th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery on 8 July. On 27 July it moved into the line at Sausage Valley, supporting the 2nd Division attacks near Pozieres. Beauchamp was killed in action on 7 August 1916 and buried in Gordon Dump Cemetery, Ovillers La Boiselle (near Albert), Picardie, in France.
Reference List
1.Mount Gambier High School Admissions Register, 97.
2. Mount Gambier High School Admissions Register, 272.
3. Border Watch, 13 September 1916, p.3.
Published in Ours: the origins and early years of Mount Gambier High School and Old Scholars who served in the Great European War by Graeme Roulstone
Biography contributed by Julianne Ryan
Son of Charles Walter BEAUCHAMP and Jessie Emma Beauchamp (nee HACK),
lived at Wyatt Street, Mount Gambier, South Australia.
(later moved to 6 Thomas Street, Croydon, Adelaide, SA)
Previous service:
3 years School Cadets - voluntary
3 years Senior Cadets - 74th Battry transferred to Field Artillery, 12 months still serving
on enlisting
Charles was described on enlisting as 19 years 1 month of age; 5' 4" tall; 138 lbs;
fair complexion; blue eyes; fair hair; Presbyterian
14/06/1915 enlisted into WWI at Keswick, South Australia
15/06/1915 appointed to Group Base Infantry, Mitcham Camp
16/10/1915 18th Infantry Battalion - Signaller
22/11/1915 embarked Port of Melbourne, VIC onboard HMAT A34 Persic
as a Gunner with 6th Field Artillery Brigade, 18 Battery
21/12/1915 disembarked at Suez, Egypt
17/03/1916 proceeded to join Mediterranean Expditionary Forces, ex Alexandria
23/03/1916 proceeded to join British Expeditionary Forces
disembarked into Marseilles, France
07/08/1916 Killed in Action at Somme Sector, France
buried in: Gordon Dump Cemetery, Sausage Valley, (between La Boiselle and Contalmaison)
Ovillers-La-Boiselle, France
Plot I, Row A, Grave 26
His name is commemorated on:-
- Panel 14 at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, ACT
- at his parents grave in North Road Church of England Cemetery, Adelaide, South Australia
Medals: 1914/15 Star (26497); British War medal (25264); Victory medal (25095)
Memorial Plaque and Scroll (320892)
Submitted by Julianne T Ryan. 25/04/2017. Lest we forget.
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