Gartrell, Charles

No.26982 – Charles Edward Gartrell – 3^rd Field Artillery Brigade

Charles Ernest Gartrell was born in Boulder WA in 1897 to Frank and Violet Gartrell. The family moved to the City shortly after his birth and Charlie was educated in Perth. While at school Charlie was exempt from the Universal Cadet military training, though the reason for the exemption is not stated. After leaving school Charlie took up work as a Warehouseman. On the 22^nd October 1915, aged just 18, Charlie went to the Swan Barracks in Perth to enlist in the AIF. He was found to be fit for training with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;

Height:                                     5 feet 11 inches;

Weight:                                    120lbs;

Chest Measurement:               29-33 inches;

Complexion:                            Fresh;

Eyes:                                       Blue;

Hair:                                        Light Brown;

Religious Denomination:         Church of England;

Distinctive Marks:                    scar on 3^rd finger on left hand;

Upon his successful enlistment Charlie was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp and assigned to No.35 Training Depot where he was taken through the basics of infantry work. On the 11^th November he was transferred into the reinforcements for the 3^rd Field Artillery Brigade. The WA artillery reinforcements were then transferred to Victoria where they were installed at the Artillery training facility at Maribyrnong Camp. For the next several months Charlie would remain in Victoria learning the finer arts of artillery work. On the 2^nd March 1916 Charlie was also sent to the AIF Signal School. Charlie would now be able to work as a Gunner and Signaller.

(Photo below - Charlie Gartrell (far left) either at Blackboy Hill or Maribyrnong Camp)

It appears that there may have been a large number of artillery reinforcements as it wasn’t until the 4^th August 1916 that Charlie was attached to the 5^th Reinforcements to the 10^th Field Artillery Brigade. He then undertook further training with this reinforcement group while they waited for their departure orders to come through. These finally arrived and on the 7^th September 1916 Charlie and his group boarded the HMAT Port Sydney in Port Melbourne and set sail for England.

After a long sea journey the ship berthed at Plymouth on the 29^th October 1916. The men were then disembarked and sent to the Australian Artillery Training Depot at Parkhouse on the Salisbury Plains.

Charlie would spend the 1916/17 winter in England and though much time was spent on training Charlie was also given leave to see the sights of England. He would remain in camp in England until the 5^th April 1917, when he was put in a draft of artillerymen who were proceeding to France. On reaching Folkestone Harbour Charlie and his group were put aboard a transport ship and sent across the Channel. Upon being disembarked on the 6^th April 1917 Charlie was sent to the Artillery Base Depot in Etaples.

He remained at this depot for the next few weeks but on the 3^rd may he was given orders to proceed to his unit. Though Charlie had come out from Australia as a reinforcement group with the 10^th Field Artillery Brigade he had now been reassigned to join the 3^rd Field Artillery Brigade and specifically the 8^th Battery of the 3^rd FA Brigade which was nominally a Western Australian unit.

Charlie was taken on strength of the 8^th Battery 3^rd Field Artillery Brigade on the 6^th May 1917. The 3^rd FAB was then providing artillery support for the Australian infantry involved in the 2^nd Battle of Bullecourt.

In late May the 3^rd Field Artillery Brigade moved to the Ploegsteert sector in southern Belgium to provide fire support during the Messines battle. Charlie was on the 8^th Battery guns during this action but as they were also within range of the German artillery, they were regularly bombarded. On the 8^th June a German shell exploded close to Charlie’s gun, sending shrapnel through his back and the shock of the blast also rendering him unconscious. Charlie’s mates raced to assist him and he was taken to the 9^th Field Ambulance for treatment. He was then sent straight on to the 1^st Australian Casualty Clearing Station for further treatment.

As he had not regained consciousness Charlie was sent on the 9^th June to the 11^th General Hospital at Rouen. He regained consciousness here but unfortunately the shrapnel had made him paralysed. For several weeks he was marked as dangerously ill and was close to death but by the end of July his condition had improved enough that it was now organised to transfer him to England.

On the 5^th August 1917 he was placed aboard the hospital ship, aptly named, HS Western Australia, and set sail across the Channel to England.

After being disembarked in England; Charlie was put on a hospital train for Bristol where he was admitted to the 2^nd Southern General Hospital. Charlie remained in Bristol for the next two months as he underwent surgery for his wound. On the 15^th October 1917 he was transferred to the 3^rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Dartford.

He was only here for a couple of weeks as on the 5^th November 1917 Charlie was transferred to No.2 Command Depot at Weymouth. This move to the coast was in preparation for Charlie being sent back to Australia and he just needed to be allotted a berth on a ship. On the 20^th December 1917 Charlie was placed upon the HS Runic and sailed home for Australia, eventually disembarking at Fremantle on the 6^th February 1918.

Due to his condition Charlie was taken straight to No.8 Australian General Hospital in Fremantle. He was given a medical assessment and it was found that due to the paraplegia he had no control over his bodily functions and it was recommended that he underwent continual treatment at No.8 AGH. Subsequently Charlie’s parents moved from Perth to Dalgety Street East Fremantle to be closer to the hospital.

For the next six months Charlie was generally at No.8 AGH or the family home in East Fremantle. Even though Charlie was discharged from the AIF on the 2^nd August 1918 he continued to receive treatment at the Army hospital.

His condition never greatly improved over the next year despite all the treatment and on the 7^th September 1919 Charlie died at No.8 AGH in South Terrace Fremantle. His mother was able to be present when Charlie died in hospital.

Charlie was then buried at Karrakatta Cemetery where he was given a military funeral and he lies in Plot CE 1A 299.

His parents continued to live in Fremantle and in 1923 they moved to Swanbourne Street.