Dunkley, Charles Rodger

52043 Private Charles Rodger Dunkley MID - 28th Battalion & WX11064 Major - Australian Army Medical Corps

Charles Rodger Dunkley was born in Melbourne Victoria on the 5th October 1899 to Charles and Jane Dunkley. He had a younger brother Alfred born in 1901. Sadly his father died while attempting to save a person from drowning at a Melbourne beach.

Jane was then left to bring up her children alone. She then moved to Western Australia, initially taking up residence in the Goldfields, before moving to Fremantle prior to the Great War, taking up residence in Osborne Road Fremantle. She had married Francis Gibson in 1914. Francis would later become Mayor of Fremantle.

Charles meanwhile was educated in Fremantle and then Perth Modern School and during this time also served in the 86A Cadets of the Citizens Military Forces.

After leaving school Charles continued his studies as he wanted to become a doctor. However he also wanted to do his part in the Great War. On the 8th January 1918 Charlie 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 10 inches tall;

Weight - 130lbs;

Chest Measurement - 34-36 inches;

Complexion - Fair;

Eyes - Blue;

Hair - Brown.

After his successful enlistment Charlie was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp. For a few months he was in the training depot being taken through the basics of infantry work. On the 10th April 1918 he was then transferred into the 1st Western Australian reinforcements. He trained with his group for another month and then they were entrained down to Albany.

On the 8th May 1918 Charlie and his group boarded the transport ship HMAT Port Darwin and set sail for England. The journey went via Egypt and then Italy and the ship berthed at Taranto. Charles was offloaded here as he was unwell and was sent to hospital in the Port City.

He was sent into the 79th General Hospital in Taranto. He was discharged from hospital on the 15th July 1918 and then boarded another ship for England, arriving in Southampton on the 29th July 1918. After being disembarked Charlie was sent to the 5th Training Battalion.

He spent the next few months in this camp undergoing further training.  On the 17th October 1918 he left England for France, arriving at Le Havre. He then spent a few days in camp before being taken on strength of the 28th Battalion on the 20th October 1918.

The 28th Battalion were then currently out of the line on a rest period, having been withdrawn from action on the 4th October 1918. A few weeks after he joined his unit, the Armistice was announced on the 11th November 1918. 

After the Germans had withdrawn to behind their own borders, the Australians were sent into what had been German occupied parts of Belgium and France. The 28th Battalion were posted to the Charleroi region of Belgium.

Charlie remained with his unit until the 26th January 1919. He was then posted back to England to await demobilisation. On arrival in England he was sent to No.1 Command Depot Camp at Sutton Veny.

On the 28th February 1919 Charlie was sent to Devonport Harbour where he boarded the transport ship Anchises. This ship then set sail for Australia, reaching Albany on the 7th April 1919.

Charlie was then entrained north for Perth and was sent to No.8 Australian General Hospital in Fremantle for a medical check. He was then discharged from the AIF on the 25th April 1919.

On return home to Fremantle, Charlie was accepted by the University of Melbourne and so began his medical studies in Victoria. However he also kept his interest in the military, continuing to serve with the Citizens Military Forces. He had applied for a commission, which was granted in 1921 and in 1923 was sent to Queenscliffe Barracks in Victoria to take part in an infantry course. He passed with a rating of 'Very Good'. Charles served with the Citizens Forces between 1921 and 1925 however he then resigned when he returned to WA. Possibly that now he was working as a full time medical doctor at Fremantle Hospital he did not have the time for further army service.

In 1928 Charles married Jessie Mary Mackay in Fremantle and they took up residence at 78 Ellen Street Fremantle (later renumbered 47 Ellen). Thery would have two sons, Ross in 1931 and Stuart in 1934.

During the 1930's Charles continued to practice as a doctor at Fremantle Hospital.

In 1941 Charles enlisted for service in the Australian Army and was posted to the Australian Army Medical Corps. He was given the service number WX11064 and the rank of Captain.

After initial service in WA Charles was assigned as the medical officer to the 2nd Independent Company (later called the 2/2nd Commando Squadron) and was sent to Victoria and then South Australian for further service. In October 1941 he was posted with his unit to the Northern Territory. They were then posted overseas to Timor as part of Sparrow Force to help defend this territory against Japanese aggression.

When the Japanese invaded and captured the island, the 2nd Independent Company withdrew into the mountains and conducted a guerilla war against the Japanese through 1942/43.

After the Japanese invasion, initially Charles was reported as Missing in Action, but when the unit re-established communications it was confirmed that he was still with his unit.

Charles did very good work with the 2nd Independent Company, keeping his many as healthy as possible with the Japanese battle casualties and from diseases such as Malaria, all the while the unit was conducting guerilla operations against the Japanese.

After the 2nd Independent Company was withdrawn to Australia in 1943 Charles received a Commendation Card signed by General Sir Thomas Blamey. He would be Mentioned in Despatches for his work while on Timor.

In March 1943 Charles left the 2nd Independent Company and was transferred to the 118th Australian General Hospital which was then based at Northam Army Camp.

in July 1943 Charles was transferred to the 60th Australian Camp Hospital which was an Australian Army Medical Corps facility in Fremantle. In October he was then posted to the 40th Camp Hospital which was based at Narrogin but had detachments in Broome. He was only there a month and then returned to the 60th ACH in Fremantle.

In November 1943 Charles was promoted to the rank of Major and in March 1944 was made Deputy Assistant Director of Medical Services for the 5th Military District (WA). He was in this role till June 1944 and was then transferred to command the 109th Australian Convalescent Depot. This unit was based at Northam Army Camp before moving to Point Walter in early 1945.

Charles was in command of the 109th Convalescent Depot till March 1945. He was then posted to Queensland and from there to No.8 Australian Base area which covered New Guinea and Rabaul in New Britain.

Headquarters 8 Australian Base Sub Area was formed in Queensland in February 1945, arriving at Morotai in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) in April 1945. It acted as a vital Allied logistical hub and staging point for the Australian-led Borneo Campaign and the reception of recovered Prisoners of War.

Charles was then made Deputy Assistant Director of Medical Services for the No.8 Australia Base Area. He was still in this role when the Japanese surrendered in August 1945. In November 1945 Charles was promoted to the position of Assistant Director Medical Services for this area.

He was only in that position for a month as he then returned to Australia by ship, disembarking in Sydney on the 15th December 1945. Charles then returned to Western Command in WA. As the war had been over for five months Charles was discharged in January 1946. However he was placed on the reserve list and was Medical Area Officer for the Army and could be called up in case of further hostilities. He was on this list through to the 1950's.

After serving in World War Two, he returned to practicing medicine in Fremantle. He was now living at 59 Ellen St Fremantle. During this time Charles was also the Medical Officer for the Fremantle district for the Western Australian Police Service.

In the 1960's Charles moved to Shenton Road in Shenton Park and was still working as doctor at this time.

Charles Dunkley died on the 14th May 1969 aged 69. He was cremated at Fremantle Cemetery and his ashes were placed in the family grave at plot Presbyterian MON E 0086.