Partlon, Christopher Joseph
3542 Private Christopher Joseph Partlon - 16th Battalion AIF
Christopher John Partlon was born in Fremantle WA on the 26th August 1898 to Christopher and Mary Partlon. He had four siblings, William (1897), Mary (1902), John (1904) and Bernard (1911).
The family lived in Alfred Road then at "Riverview" Ainslie Road North Fremantle and Chris was educated at North Fremantle Primary School.
His father, who was a Railway Guard for WAGR, died in North Fremantle on the 7th July 1914 which left Mary to bring up the family.
During his early years Chris served in the 86A Cadets of the Citizens Military Forces. He continued his service even while working locally as a labourer.
On the 16th June 1915 Chris enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was found to be fit for enlistment, with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;
Height - 5 feet 6 & 3/4 inches tall;
Weight - 137lbs;
Chest Measurement - 34-36 inches;
Complexion - Dark;
Eyes - Grey;
Hair - Dark Brown.
Distinctive Marks - Tattoo on left and right arm.
After his successful enlistment, Chris was sent to Blackboy Hill Cam where he was assigned to the depot training units. He was taken through the basics of infantry work in these depot training camps.
On the 21st September 1915 Chris was assigned to the 11th Reinforcements to the 16th Battalion AIF. He trained with this group in WA for the next month. Their embarkation orders came through and Chris and his group entrained for Fremantle Harbour where they boarded the transport ship HMAT Benalla.
The ship then set sail for Egypt, arriving there in late November 1915. Chris and his group would have been expecting to be sent on to Gallipoli but plans were underway for the evacuation of that battlefield, so the reinforcements were retained in the reinforcement camp in Egypt.
The 16th Battalion returned to Egypt after Christmas 1915 but Chris was retained in the reinforcement camp for a few months. He was eventually taken on strength of the 16th Battalion on the 7th March 1916.
He then trained with the 16th Battalion in the Egyptian desert for the next few months. On the 1st June 1915 Chris and the 16th Battalion left Egypt aboard a troopship for France, arriving at Marseilles on the 9th June 1916.
The 16th Battalion were sent to the north of France in the Armentieres region. They would have their first experience of Western Front conditions in this sector. They only spent a few weeks here and then the 4th Division units including the 16th Battalion were sent to the Somme battlefield.
The 1st and 2nd Australian Divisions had been in action and captured Pozieres village and attempted to further the gains but were coming up against tough German resistance.
The 16th battalion went into the line in the first week of August 1916 and took part in the action around Pozieres. They then had a few weeks rest before taking part in the attempted capture of Mouquet Farm on August 30th 1916. The Germans had fortified the farm and despite making good gains, the 16th Battalion were unsupported on their flanks and had to withdraw. Chris had come through both these actions unscathed.
The 16th Battalion were then sent to Belgium for several weeks, where they were in the front line near Ypres. They then returned to the Somme battlefield and would spent the 1916/17 French winter in the vicinity of Flers in the very cold and muddy conditions.
In February 1917 the 16th Battalion took part in the actions around Stormy Trench and in April 1917 at Bullecourt.
The 16th Battalion, as part of the 4th Brigade were tasked with breaking the line at Bullecourt and capturing the German positions. This assault finally went ahead on April 11th 1917 with the assistance of tanks though with no artillery support. On the 4th Brigade front, the 16th & 13th Battalion broke through the thick barbed wire and despite the heavy German fire managed to capture sections of the trenches. However due to their flanks being unsupported and the lack of supporting fire along with running out of ammunition, the survivors had a choice to remain and become prisoners of war or to make a dash back for their own lines.
The 16th Battalion had very heavy casualties with only a handful of men making back to their own lines. Chris was one of the fortunate few of the 16th Battalion to survive this action unscathed.
On the 19th April 1917 Chris went to the 12th Field Ambulance with an injured ankle but was back with this unit in a few days.
From June to August 1917, Chris and the 16th Battalion were serving on the Messines front in Belgium. The 16th Battalion were then sent to Ypres where they took part in the offensive operations taking place there. The 16th Battalion seeing action around Polygon Wood, Zonnebeke and Broodseinde Ridge. Chris survived this time in Belgium safely.
In December 1917 the 16th Battalion were sent to Peronne for a few weeks but in January 1918 returned to the Ypres sector. They would help hold the line south east of Ypres till March 1918.
On the 30th December 1917 Chris had been sent to the 4th Australian Division Signal School, returning to the 16th Battalion on the 16th February 1918.
As a result of the German offensive of March 21st 1918 which broke through the British front line further south, the Australian Divisions were sent towards the Somme to help stop this German advance.
The 16th Battalion, as part of the 4th Infantry Brigade, moved to Hebuterne where they joined New Zealand and British units in stopping the German advance in this sector. They also started putting the Germans on the back foot by conducting raids on their positions.
In April 1918 the 16th Battalion moved to the Villers-Bretonneux sector. They were in this area till July 1918. On the 4th July 1918 Chris and the 16th Battalion took part in the successful capture of Hamel village. He came through this action unscathed.
Chris took part in the successful advance on August 8th 1918 on the Villers-Bretonneux front. The 16th Battalion advanced on the southern side of the Somme River. During the advance they were getting heavy fire from the flank as the northern side of the Somme had not been cleared of the Germans, yet the 16th Battalion managed to take their objectives.
For the next few weeks, the 16th Battalion were constantly on the advance. On the 27th August 1918 Chris was granted a fortnight's leave to England. This was his first leave period since joining the 16th Battalion in March 1916. Chris was supposed to report back on the 10th September 1918 but he took another eight days unofficial leave. When he reported back on the 18th September he was charged with being absent without leave and was fined 19 days pay.
Chris had finished his front line service with the 16th Battalion as the Battalion fought its last action on September 18th with their successful action at Le Verguier, as after the capture of the village, the 16th battalion were pulled out for the line for a rest period which lasted up till the Armistice.
On the 19th November 1918 Chris reported ill and was sent to the 4th Field Ambulance. He was diagnosed with influenza and was then sent to the 12th Casualty Clearing Station. His condition was serious and he was sent to hospital in the French town of Rouen. He was here for nearly a month and then on the 17th December 1918 was shipped to England. He had a further stay in hospital and on the 3rd January 1919 was transferred to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Dartford.
He was then given a two week furlough and then he had to report to No.1 Command Depot Camp on the 20th January 1919. Chris would wait in this camp for several weeks while waiting to hear that he had been assigned a berth on a troopship home.
On the 3rd March 1919 he went to Portland and boarded the transport ship HMAT Euripides and set sail for Australia, arriving in Fremantle on the 10th April 1919.
Chris was discharged from the AIF on the 10th June 1919.
Chris then returned home to North Fremantle and married Alice May Carter in 1920. They had a daughter Alice born in 1920
His mother died in North Fremantle on the 1st January 1921.
In 1925 Chris and Alice were living at 19 Ainslie road north Fremantle and Chris was working as a Motor Assembler. They remained in North Fremantle through the 1920's but in 1931 moved 5 Farley street West Perth.
They then moved to 285 railway parade Maylands and Chris was still working as an assembler/mechanic. They were here through the 1940's but by 1954 had moved to 21 Normanby Street Inglewood. Chris was now working as a tractor expert.
In 1963 they moved to 32 Barnes road Innaloo and from this address he applied for the Anzac Commemorative Medallion.
Christopher Partlon died on the 8th June 1969 aged 70. He was buried at Karrakatta Cemetery plot Roman Catholic ZF 0335.