Day, Charles Thomas

No.3440 – Private Charles Thomas Day – 16^th Battalion AIF

Charles Thomas Day was born in Fremantle WA in 1890 to James and Jessie Day. The family lived in Mandurah Road South Fremantle and Charles was educated at Christian Brothers College Fremantle. After leaving school he took up work as a farm labourer.

On the 4^th August 1915 Charles enlisted into the AIF and was accepted as fit for service. He was found to be 5 feet 10 & ¾ inches tall; weight of 150lbs; chest measurement of 33 - 37 inches; fair complexion; blue eyes and light hair. His religious denomination was Church of England.

Charles was initially allotted to No.21 Depot Company and then the 1^st Depot Battalion. On the 27^th September 1915 he was allotted to the 11^th Reinforcements to the 16^th Battalion and he trained with them in WA until the end of October 1915. On the 1^st November 1915 Charlie embarked with his reinforcement group aboard the H.M.A.T. “Benalla” from Fremantle Harbour and made their way to Egypt. After arriving in Egypt, Charlie was sent the Infantry Depot and only joined the 16^th Battalion on the 7^th March 1916.

Charlie trained with the 16^th Battalion in the Egyptian desert for the next few months, during which time they also took up positions in the Suez Canal defence line. On the 1^st June 1916 they embarked from Alexandria and sailed for France, arriving at Marseilles on the 9^th June 1916.

After their arrival they were put on to trains and sent to the north of France to the region around Armentieres. They were only to stay here for a few weeks as in July they were sent south to take part in the Battle of the Somme. The 1^st and 2^nd Divisions captured Pozieres village, and the 4^th Division came into the line to push towards Mouquet Farm. During one such attack on August 10^th 1916 Charlie Day was killed in action.

There are no eyewitness reports as to his death and his body was not recovered thus he is commemorated on the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial.