Dingle, Charles
No.5364 – Gunner Charles Dingle – 3rd Field Artillery Brigade
Charles Dingle was born in Fremantle WA in 1897 to Henry & Alice Dingle. He was one of six children the others Harry, Jack, Fred, Nellie and Mabel. The family initially lived in Howard Street Fremantle. He grew up in Claremont where his parents lived on the Fremantle-Perth Road. Educated at Claremont school he also attended the 87A Cadets at Claremont Drill Hall. After leaving school Charles took up a job as a Blacksmith’s Apprentice at the Locomotive Workshops at Midland Junction.
On the 7th September 1915 aged just 18, Charlie went to the Perth Drill Hall to enlist in the AIF. He was passed as fit with the Medical Doctor finding him to be 5 foot 8 ¼ inches tall; weight of 129 lbs; chest measurement of 35-37 inches; sallow complexion; brown eyes and dark brown hair. His religious denomination was Methodist. Initially allotted to No.28 Depot, Charlie was soon sent to the Artillery Details Camp as a Gunner. These men were sent across to Melbourne to continue their training. Charles was attached to the Reinforcements to the 3rd Field Artillery Brigade which left Port Melbourne aboard the H.M.A.T. “Hororata” on the 27th September 1915.
Upon arrival in Egypt Charlie was taken on strength of the 1st Division Ammunition Column but on the 9th February 1916 was transferred to the Division Ammunition Dump. On the 29th March 1916 he was sent to France in the Artillery Details and disembarked at Marseilles on the 4th April 1916. Charles was then sent up the Artillery Base Depot at Etaples where he arrived on the 11th April 1916. He was to remain here for the next two months and wasn’t taken on strength of the 1st Division Ammunition Column until the 8th June 1916. He was posted to No.4 Section though was only to remain here for eight days as on the 16th June he was transferred to the 8th Battery of the 3rd Field Artillery Brigade.
Charlie served with the 3rd Field Artillery Brigade through the Somme Battle of July-September 1916 and the French Winter on 1916/17. Through 1917 he served in the Hindenburg Outpost line battle and from July 31st 1917 the Third Battle of Ypres. Through August, September & October 1917 the 3rd Field Artillery Brigade provided artillery support for the assaults on the German trenches.
On the 22nd October 1917 Charles was killed by German shellfire though there seems to be no eyewitness reports remaining as to his death. It seems he was buried in the 8th Battery position at Westhoek Ridge with map reference Sheet 28 D.8.
Unfortunately it seems that Charlie’s grave position was lost as after the war his grave could not be located and so he is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial in Ypres. After his death his mother received a pension of 14/- per fortnight. Charlie’s father Henry went to England as an Australian Munitions Worker.
Charlie's brother Harry served with the 5th Pioneer Battalion in the war and survived the conflict.
In 1918 Harry Dingle married Elise Illingworth and they had a son Charles Harry born in 1919. Tragically Elsie died in 1920. In 1927 Harry remarried to Nora Weedon.
In World War Two, though Harry didn’t see service, his son, Charles Harry Dingle served in the 2nd AIF with the Armoured Regiments but then went on to serve with the home forces Militia Units.
Harry Dingle continued working for the PMG in Perth and died on the 3rd August 1971 aged 70 and was cremated at Karrakatta Cemetery.