Carter, Henry

No.1907 – Private Henry Carter – 28^th Battalion AIF

Henry Carter was born in Brighton Sussex England in 1897 to Arthur and Jane Carter. He was one of several siblings. In 1911 aged 14 the family was still living in England at Wealdstone Middlesex. The family then immigrated to Western Australia and took up residence in Bailey Street North Fremantle. Henry found work as a labourer. He also was a member of the 86^th Infantry of the Citizen Forces.

Henry enlisted on the 24^th June 1915 aged just 18 years old. As his father was deceased his mother had to sign the papers giving her consent for Henry to enlist. The medical examiner found Henry to be 5 feet 11 ½ inches in height; weight of 156 lbs; chest measurement of 36-38 inches; dark complexion; blue eyes and black hair. His religious denomination was Church of England.

Henry was allotted to the 3^rd Reinforcements to the 28^th Battalion and this group trained in WA until their departure from Fremantle aboard the H.M.A.T. “Anchises” on the 2^nd September 1915.

After arrival in Egypt he joined the Base Depot at Zeitoun and was then sent on to the Advance Base at Mudros. It seems that Henry did not join the Battalion on Gallipoli but only met them after the evacuation of Gallipoli and was officially taken on strength of the unit on the 29^th December 1915. After returning to Egypt with the 28^th, the next few months were spent in training. On the 16^th March 1916 the 28^th Battalion departed Egypt for France, arriving at Marseilles on the 21^st March. From there they were sent to the north of France near Armentieres. Shortly after their arrival in France Henry was charged with using obscene language to an N.C.O. and was given 21 days of Field Punishment No.2. In later April he was charged with being drunk while on active service as well as neglecting to obey an order from a superior officer. To round it off on the 16^th May he was absent from a tattoo and was thus awarded 28 days of Field Punishment No.2.

On the 14^th June 1916 Henry was admitted to hospital with diarrhea though had returned to the Battalion by the 17^th June 1916. The 28^th Battalion as part of the 2^nd Division moved to the Somme in July 1916 and relieved the 1^st Division that had captured Pozieres village. The 2^nd Division would try and further the gains already made. On the 29^th July 1916 the 28^th Battalion advanced along the Pozieres Road and attacked the German line. The men were seen by the Germans and were raked by machine gun and artillery fire. Casualties were immense though Henry survived this action. Due to their casualties the 28^th Battalion were pulled out to reform and though low on numbers were once again sent into the attack on the 4^th August when they captured ground in the vicinity of the vital windmill position. At some point during the 4^th to the 6^th August 1916 Henry was killed in action. No eyewitness reports have been found regarding his death and as his body was not recovered he is commemorated on the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial.