Clegg, Charles Oliver

2883 Private Charles Oliver Clegg - 32nd Battalion & Australian Electrical Mining & Boring Company

Charles Oliver Clegg was born in Melbourne Victoria in 1891 to Jacob and Margaret Clegg. He had several siblings, Lillian (1881), Walter (1883), Percy (1885), Francis (1886), Eveline (1888), Wilfred (1893) and Stanley in 1896.

Their father Jacob died in 1895 and in 1902 Margaret remarried to John McKillop. The family then moved to Western Australia.

The family soon moved to Western Australia and took up residence at 92 East Street Fremantle.

On arrival in WA Charles completed his education and then found employment with the WA Government Railways and was in several positions before the Great War before attaining the role of Locomotive Fireman. During this time Charlie also had a few years of service in the 11th Australian Infantry Regiment of the Citizen Military Forces.

In 1915 in Fremantle Charles married Agnes Pringle and they took up residence at 173 Forrest Street East Fremantle.

On the 11th June 1916 Charles enlisted into the AIF. He was found to be fit for service with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;

Height - 5 feet 5 inches tall

Weight - 133lbs;

Chest Measurement - 34-36 inches;

Complexion - Fresh;

Eyes - Blue;

Hair - Brown.

On his successful enlistment, Charles was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he had a few weeks in the infantry training depot. On the 1st August 1916 he was allotted to the 8th Reinforcements of the 51st Battalion AIF. He trained with this group for a month but on the 4th September 1916 was transferred to the 7th Reinforcements to the 51st Battalion.

This reinforcement group trained in WA for the next two months while they waited for their embarkation orders to arrive. These finally came through and on the 9th November 1916, Charlie and his group boarded the transport ship HMAT Argyllshire and set sail for England.

After the long sea voyage the ship arrived at Devonport on the 10th January 1917. After his arrival Charlie was marched into the 13th Training Battalion at Codford Camp. He had several weeks of training here but was then re-assigned to join the 32nd Battalion.

On the 6th April 1917 Charlie was taken on strength of the 32nd Battalion in France. The 32nd Battalion were then in the vicinity of Bapaume. Charlie served with the 32nd Battalion during the advance to the Hindenburg Line and at Bullecourt in May 1917.

From June to August 1917 the 32nd Battalion were given a rest period out of the line but they returned to the front in September where they took part in the Third Battle of Ypres in Belgium.

Charlie saw action at Polygon Wood in September and at Zonnebeke-Broodseinde Ridge in October 1917. On the 11th October 1917 at Celtic Wood Charlie was wounded, being hit in the back by shrapnel. He was evacuated to the 3rd Field Ambulance and from there was sent to the 10th Casualty Clearing Station.

He was then sent to the Red Cross Hospital at Le Touquet on the French Coast. He spent two weeks here and then was put on a hospital ship to England where he was admitted to Norfolk War Hospital on the 27th October. Charlie spent a further two weeks here and upon recovering, on the 13th November 1917 was sent to No.3 Command Depot Camp at Hurdcott.

Charlie would spend the next few months in England while he tried to regain his fitness. During this time he also contracted illnesses in the cold English weather which required further hospitalisation.

On the 23rd January 1918 Charlie was sent to the 15th Training Battalion at Codford Camp and the following day was sent to the 5th Division Signal School which was also at Codford Camp.

This training took several weeks but was interrupted on the 4th April 1918 when Charlie was admitted to Fargo Military Hospital suffering from what was called a pyrexia of unknown origin. He had a few weeks here but soon recovered and on the 24th April 1918 he reported for duty at the 14th Training Battalion.

On the 25th June 1918 Charlie was taken back on strength of the 32nd Battalion in France. He served with them through the next few months of war including the Brick Beacon action of July 31st 1918 and the August offensive when the Germans were pushed back from the Villers-Bretonneux front. The 32nd Battalion were then in action constantly from August 8th to October 2nd 1918.

Charlie survived these actions unscathed and served with the 32nd Battalion until the Armistice.

In February 1919 Charlie transferred into the Australian Electrical Mining and Boring Company and served with them for two months in France and Belgium before being returned to England on the 28th April 1919.

In June 1919 he reported sick and was diagnosed with venereal disease and was sent to the 1st Australian Dermatological Hospital at Bulford.

On the 1st July 1919 Charlie boarded the Hospital Transport Ship Karmala and set sail for Australia, reaching Fremantle on the 10th August 1919. After being disembarked Charlie was sent to No.8 Australian General Hospital in South Terrace Fremantle for a medical checkup. He was then released from hospital and was discharged from the AIF on the 15th September 1919.

While he had been away his wife Agnes had moved from Forrest Street to 12 Stephen Street Grass Valley Beaconsfield and then to Tuckfield Street where she was boarding with a friend, but with Charlies return they moved to Mason Street North Fremantle.

However, they soon moved back to 12 Stephen Street Beaconsfield.

Unfortunately, they would not be able to enjoy the peacetime for long as in 1923 Agnes Clegg died in Fremantle aged just 28. She was buried at Fremantle Cemetery.

In 1924 Charles remarried to Ida May Painton in Fremantle. In 1926 they had a daughter, Roma Ida Margaret Clegg, followed in 1927 by Shirley, Norma in 1928 and Kenneth in 1931.

During this time Charles was still working as a fireman for WAGR. In 1926 Charlie was transferred to Brunswick Junction.

In the 1930's they moved to Collie where Charlie was working as an Engine Driver. In 1942 the family left Collie and move to East Perth and he was employed in the WAGR Workshop. Charlie retired in 1950.

Charles Oliver Clegg died in Perth on the 10th March 1980 aged 89. He was cremated at Karrakatta Cemetery.