Cavender, Charles

No.4042 – Private Charles Cavender/Ernest Mayes –

32^nd Battalion AIF

Ernest Mayes enlisted into the AIF under the false name of Charles Cavender. He had been born in Kingston, Surrey England in 1880 to John and Hannah Mayes and was educated at St. Mark’s School at Surbiton, Surrey. After leaving school he joined the Royal Navy and would subsequently spend 12 years serving with them. The 1901 census lists Ernest at Gibraltar as a member of the Royal Navy ship HMS Jupiter. On his enlistment form he claimed to have also spent seven years with the East Surreys before being discharged. He arrived in Western Australia in 1912 when he was 30 years old and as a sailor based himself in Fremantle.

In May 1916, while residing at “Imperial Rest” in Fremantle he decided to enlist into the AIF. For an unknown reason, he enlisted under the false name of Charles Cavender. He was passed as fit for service though he also gave himself the age of 27 rather than 34. The medical examiner in Fremantle found Ernest to be 5 feet 6 ½ inches tall; weight of 148 lbs; chest measurement of 33-36 inches; fresh complexion; blue eyes and dark brown hair. His religious denomination was Church of England. From his day in the Royal Navy he had a tattoo of two ladies on his right arm and 1 lady on his left arm and also a Chinese dragon on his chest.

Initially allotted to No.68 Depot, on the 21^st June Charles was allotted to the 22^nd Reinforcements to the 11^th Battalion and trained with them until the 5^th September 1916 when he was transferred to the 10^th reinforcements to the 32^nd Battalion. This group trained in WA until the 30^th October 1916 when they embarked from Fremantle aboard the H.M.A.T. “Port Melbourne”. After a two month voyage, the men disembarked at Devonport England on the 28^th December 1916.

After disembarking they marched into the 8^th Training Battalion at Hurdcott on the Salisbury Plains where further training of the men would occur. It didn’t take long for Ernie to get into trouble as on the 12^th January he was caught in overstaying his leave and attempting to travel without a leave pass. He was fined 7 days pay and given 5 days of field punishment No.2. It seems that he didn’t learn his lesson however as on the 19^th January he was again caught in traveling to London without a leave pass. As a punishment he was given 168 hours of detention and the forfeiture of 10 days pay.

Army life must not have agreed with him as in February 1917 he again was caught going AWOL from 0830 on the 5^th February to 0500 on the 19^th February 1917. He was awarded 28 days of Field Punishment No.2 and the forfeiture of 44 days pay. April didn’t prove any different from the previous months as he again went absent without leave from the 21^st March to the 13^th April 1917. At his District Court Martial he pleaded guilty to going AWOL. His punishment was 90 days detention and the forfeiture of 133 days pay.

It must have been a relief for the authorities in England as on the 16^th July, Charlie left England for France in a draft of men to the 5^th Australian Division Base Depot at Le Havre. He spent a few weeks at base and on the 1^st August 1917 finally joined the 32^nd Battalion. He would serve with the 32^nd Battalion for only a few weeks as he went AWOL on the 27^th August 1917 and was only apprehended by authorities at Rouen on the 7^th December 1917. He was imprisoned and faced a Field General Court Martial in January 1918.

Charles was fortunate in that if he was in the British Army he would most likely have been shot for deserting the battalion. He was charged by the Australian court for absenting himself without leave and for also wilfully injuring public property. He pleaded Guilty to going AWOL but not guilty to the 2^nd charge. This was confirmed by the court who found him guilty on the first charge and not guilty on the second. He was sentenced by the court to 2 years of indentured hard labour. This sentenced was confirmed by the 8^th Brigade commander, Brigadier-General Tivey.

Despite his history of going AWOL, this sentence was suspended and he was sent back to the 32^nd Battalion. Charles would actually serve the next four months without getting into trouble and on the 5^th May 1918 was sent to hospital sick. It was serious enough that he would spend over a month in hospital, only returning to the 32^nd on 20^th July 1918.

During the attack and successful capture of Brick Beacon at Sailly on the 29^th July 1918 Charles was severely wounded with his right leg being shattered. Unfortunately his wounds proved too severe and he died of wounds at the 15^th Field Ambulance the same day. He was buried at Franvillers Communal Cemetery Extension in plot II.A.18

After the war his brother, Mr. A Mayes of Surbiton Surrey cleared up the false name and let authorities know that his brother’s name was actually Ernest Mayes