Harte, Charles Edward
4514 Private Charles Edward Harte - 11th Battalion AIF
Charles Edward Harte was born in Seymour Victoria in 1888 to Charles and Laura Harte. He was one of ten siblings born into the family.
He moved to WA in the 1900's.
In 1911 he married Bertha Louise Pyke in York WA. A son Charles was born in 1912. They then moved to Fremantle.
Charlie was working as a butcher and was living at 177 High Street Fremantle prior to the Great War.
After he enlisted Louisa moved to 55 Pakenham Street Fremantle.
On the 5th October 1915 Charlie enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. The medical examiner recorded his physical attributes as;
Height - 5 feet 6 & 1/4 inches;
Weight - 158lbs;
Chest Measurement - 35-38 inches;
Complexion - Dark;
Eyes - Blue;
Hair - Brown.
Upon his successful enlistment Charlie was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was assigned to No.32 Training Depot. He was taken through the basics of infantry work at this facility. After several weeks here, Charlie was assigned to the 14th Reinforcements to the 11th Battalion AIF.
He trained with this group in WA for the next few months. On the 12th February 1916 Harry and his group entrained for Fremantle Harbour where they boarded the transport ship HMAT Miltiades. The ship then set sail for Egypt.
After arriving in Egypt in March 1916, Charlie was sent to the 3rd Training Battalion. The 11th Battalion was already at full capacity so Harry was retained in the reinforcement unit. The 11th battalion soon departed for France and was followed by the reinforcements.
Charlie arrived at Marseilles on the 4th April 1916. He was then entrained north, where with other 1st Division reinforcements, he was sent to the 1st Australian Division Base Depot at Etaples. He would be here for the next few months.
The 11th Battalion sustained a lot of casualties in late May 1916 when they were on the end of a German trench raid. Reinforcements were needed and Charlie and others were sent from Etaples to fill the gaps. He was taken on strength in June 1916.
The 11th Battalion were soon sent to the Somme battlefield. On the 23rd July 1916 the 11th Battalion took part in the capture of Pozieres Village. After the capture the Germans poured a horrendous amount of artillery fire onto the site and casualties were immense.
During the action Charlie was wounded by shrapnel in the arm. He was initially treated at the 2nd Field Ambulance and was then sent to the Casualty Clearing Station. From there he was sent to the French town of Rouen where he was admitted to the 3rd Stationary Hospital.
After a few days Charlie was sent to England where he was admitted to No.5 Southern General Hospital at Portsmouth. Charlie would be a patient here till the 26th October 1916. He was then transferred to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Dartford. After a few weeks he was then transferred to the reinforcement camp.
On the 13th January 1917 Charlie returned to France and rejoined the 11th Battalion on the 17th January. The 11th Battalion were then situated on the Somme Battlefield near Flers. Charlie was with them for two weeks but was then evacuated sick. He was then sent to the 13th General Hospital at Le Treport. Ten days later Charlie was shipped to England.
On arrival he was sent to Edmonton Military Hospital and he was here for the next few months on recovery. In May 1917 he was granted a two week furlough after which he was sent to No.1 Command Depot Camp at Perham Downs.
On the 30th July 1917 Charlie returned to France and was sent to the 1st Australian Division Base Depot at Le Havre. He then rejoined the 11th Battalion on the 21st August 1917. The 11th Battalion were then nearing the end of a three month rest period.
In September 1917 the 11th battalion moved into Belgium where they would take part in the Third Battle of Ypres. On the 20th September 1917 Charlie and the 11th battalion took part in the Third Battle of Ypres. During the advance Charlie was hit by shrapnel in the arm and thigh.
After treatment at the field ambulance and casualty clearing station he was sent to the 3rd Australian General Hospital. However he only had a few days here and was then sent to England where he was admitted to the City of Middlesex War Hospital in Napsbury. He spent a week here and was then transferred to the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Harefield.
Charlie remained at Harefield till the 6th November 1917. He was then sent to No.2 Command Depot Camp at Weymouth. Due to his wounds it was decided to sent Charlie back to Australia. On the 20th December 1917 he boarded the ship Runic and set sail for home, arriving at Fremantle on the 6th February 1918.
After being disembarked Charlie was sent to No.8 Australian General Hospital in South Terrace Fremantle where he was medically assessed. He was then discharge from the AIF on the 17th April 1918.
While he had returned home, his brother Harry Harte had died on the 3rd July 1916 in France. Harry, from York WA had been killed in action while serving with the 51st Battalion AIF.
After returning home to Fremantle and reuniting with Bertha, they lived for a time in Pakenham Street and a daughter Stella was born in 1920.
By 1922 they were living at 94 South Street South Fremantle (later renumbered to 50 South St and then 89B Attfield St) and Harry was still working as a butcher. Charlie would join other Butchers on a yearly trek to Wyndham to source meat from the farms.
In 1923 the family then moved to Holdsworth Street.
Sadly Charlie Harte died in Fremantle Hospital on the 6th February 1924 aged 34. He was buried at Fremantle Cemetery plot Anglican MON A3 0633