Chadwick, George Henry
2386 Private George Henry Chadwick - 51st Battalion AIF
George Henry Chadwick was born in Walsall Staffordshire England in 1873 to Daniel and Marie Chadwick. He had three siblings, William, Francis and Alice.
He was educated in Cheshire England and travelled to Western Australia in the 1890's and resided in Fremantle. He soon found employment as a fishmonger.
In 1901 he married Gertrude Mary Martin in Fremantle. They took up residence in South Fremantle and a son Thomas was born in 1902, followed by Alice in 1905 and George in 1911. The family were then living at 17 Wood Street in Fremantle (later renumbered 39 Wood).
On the 1st March 1916 in Fremantle, George enlisted into the AIF. He was accepted as fit for service, with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;
Height - 5 feet 4 & 1/2 inches tall;
Weight - 138lbs;
Chest Measurement - 34-37 inches;
Complexion - Fresh;
Eyes - Blue;
Hair - Fair.
Upon his successful enlistment, George was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp. He had a months basic infantry training at No.60 Training Depot and then on the 1st May 1916 was transferred into the 5th Reinforcements to the 51st Battalion.
George trained with this group in WA for the next few months. On the 20th September 1916 George and his group entrained for Fremantle Harbour where they boarded the transport ship HMT Uganda and set sail for England. After the long sea voyage the ship arrived at Plymouth Harbour on the 15th November 1916.
George and his group were then disembarked and sent to the 13th Training Battalion at Codford on the Salisbury Plains. He spent the next six weeks training there but on the 28th December 1916 was included in a draft of soldiers going to France.
After a few days at the 4th Australian Division Base Depot Camp at Etaples, he joined the 51st Battalion on the 1st January 1917. The 51st Battalion were then situated on the Somme battlefield undergoing a very cold French winter.
George spent the next eight months with the 51st Battalion, seeing action at Vaulx-Vraucourt in March 1917 and Noreuil in April 1917. From June to August 1917 the 51st Battalion served in the Messines sector in Belgium.
On the 31st August 1917 George was seconded to the 2nd Anzac Corps School as a Range Keeper. He was on this duty for a month and then returned to the 51st Battalion o the 30th September 1917.
The 51st Battalion was then engaged in the Third Battle of Ypres and had seen action at Polygon Wood. George served with them in October and November 1917 at Broodseinde Ridge and Zonnebeke.
In December 1917 the 4th Division were sent to Peronne but returned to Belgium in January 1918. George was then granted a two week furlough to the UK between the 10th and 28th January 1918.
He joined his unit in Belgium just south east of Ypres near Hollebeke through February and March 1918.
On the 27th March 1918 George was sent to hospital with issues with his right heel. He was sent to the 2nd General Hospital at Boulogne with his injury was assessed. After a few days he was sent to a rest camp.
On the 7th April 1918 George was sent to the Australian Infantry Base Depot at Le Havre. He would remain here for the next two months but his heel was not improving so in June 1918 he was transferred to England. George was now classified as medically unfit for further service.
He went to No.2 Command Depot Camp at Weymouth and would have the next few months in camp here.
On the 19th October 1918 George boarded the transport ship Sardinia and set sail for Australia, disembarking at Fremantle on the 16th December 1918. George was then sent to No.8 Australian General Hospital in South Terrace Fremantle for a medical check up.
He was discharged from the AIF on the 29th January 1919.
He then returned home to Wood Street Fremantle and resumed his fishmonger trade. His crayfish shop was situated near the Fremantle Town Hall. He also supplemented his income with being a dredge hand at Fremantle Harbour.
In 1921 another son called Arthur was born into the family.
George joined the Fremantle Branch of the Returned and Services League as well as the Star of the West Lodge and the Western Gate Lodge.
In 1943 George had a bit of good fortune, winning 2000 pounds in a Lottery. He and a friend from Fremantle Harbour, William Walters, had been sharing tickets in the Lotto for many years and finally had a win.
While he was to old to serve in World War Two, his sons George and Arthur both served, George (WX11261) in the 2/11th Battalion and Arthur (WX27175) in the Artillery. Both survived the conflict.
George's eldest son Thomas Chadwick was a Councillor for Fremantle Municipal Council.
George died in Fremantle on the 16th October 1950 aged 79. He was buried in Fremantle Cemetery plot Anglican Mon AA 0462.