HANDFIELD, Charles Reginald
| Service Number: | 579 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Corporal |
| Last Unit: | Unspecified South African Army Units |
| Born: | South Yarra, Victoria, Australia, 26 August 1878 |
| Home Town: | Hampton, Bayside, Victoria |
| Schooling: | East Malvern Grammar School |
| Occupation: | Not yet discovered |
| Died: | Died of Wounds, Gibeon, German South West Africa, 6 May 1915, aged 36 years |
| Cemetery: |
Gibeon Station Cemetery |
| Memorials: |
Boer War Service
| Date unknown: | Involvement Other Commonwealth Forces, Corporal, Unspecified South African Army Units, 1st Imperial Light Horse |
|---|
World War 1 Service
| Date unknown: | Involvement Other Commonwealth Forces, Corporal, 579, Unspecified South African Army Units, Natal Light Horse |
|---|
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Faithe Jones
Son of Frederick Oliver HANDFIELD and Mary Ellen nee TATHAM
Corporal 579 Natal Light Horse.
Charles was the sixth son of the family, born at South Yarra, Melbourne 26 August 1978 and educated at East Malvern Grammar School. He went to South Africa in 1901 and joined the Natal Light Horse in 1914 at the outbreak of the war. He died of wounds at the Battle of Gibeon, German South-West Africa on 6 May 1915.
He was unmarried.
A private cable message from Johannesburg, South Africa, states that Corporal Charles Reginald Handfield died of wounds at Gibeon (German South-west Africa) on 6th inst., the message following a cablegram received through the Prime Minister last week that the officer named had been severely wounded in action. He was the youngest son of the late F. O. Handfield (formerly lieutenant, R.N.) and Mrs. Handfield of Hampton. He left Australia some years since to fight in the Boer war, afterwards remaining in Johannesburg. On the outbreak of hostilities he again volunteered for service with the Natal Light Horse. The Age Newspaper (nla.gov.au)
Wikipedia Biography (en.wikipedia.org)
Charles Reginald Handfield (26 August 1878 – 6 May 1915) was an Australian-born South African first-class cricketer and soldier.
Handfield was born in South Yarra in August 1878 and was educated at Malvern Grammar School, where he was the captain of the cricket and football teams. After graduating in 1901, he and his brother George emigrated to South Africa, where he joined the 1st Imperial Light Horse on the outbreak of the Second Boer War. He served in the Orange Free State and Transvaal and was promoted to corporal in 1902.
Handfield appeared in one first-class Currie Cup cricket match for Transvaal against Border on 23 March 1909. During the match, which took place at the Newlands Rugby Ground, Handfield caught Charles Johnson and Norman Norton and scored 5 runs before being bowled by Arthur Sprenger.
At the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914, Handfield enlisted in the Natal Light Horse, once again with the rank of corporal. The regiment was engaged in the South West Africa campaign, in which they were pushing German forces into German West Africa. Handfield was wounded in action during a battle at Gibeon on 27 April 1915 and died of his wounds on 7 May. He is buried at the Gibeon Station Cemetery.
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