Walkerden Charles William 4500

SAPPER CHARLES WILLIAM WALKERDEN

4500 – 3rd Tunnelling Company

Charles William Walkerden was born in 1879 at Stawell, Victoria, the son of Robert James and Mary Ann (nee Fruin) Walkerden. His siblings were Henry Walter born 1876; Robert James born 1877; Amy May born 1881, Hugh Errol born 1883 and Florence Fruin born 1886.

Charles married Elsie Annie Mindner at East Murchison, WA, on 12 December 1910. Elsie was the daughter of Henry (aka Heinrich or Harry) and Margaret Brown (nee Anderson) Mindner and was born in 1894 at Brunswick, Victoria. Margaret had a second marriage to Charles Augustus Peck which took place at Woroonga, WA in 1904.

Charles and Elsie had a daughter, Ivy M, born at East Murchison on 18 December 1910. The Electoral Roll for 1916 records Charles, a Miner, and Elsie living at Sandstone, WA.

Charles completed the ‘Attestation Paper of Persons Enlisted for Service Abroad’ on 25 February 1916. He stated he was 31 years and 8 months of age and a Miner by trade. A medical examination at Geraldton on the same day recorded that he was 5ft 5¼ins tall and weighed 133 lbs. He had a medium complexion, blue eyes and brown hair. He named as his Next-of-Kin his wife Mrs Elsie Annie Walkerden of Dongara, Western Australia, and allotted three-fifths of his pay for the support of his wife and child. He signed the Oath to ‘well and truly serve’ on 10 March at Geraldton.

Initial training at 54 Depot was undertaken from 15 to 21 March when Charles was transferred to No.6 Tunnelling Company with the rank of Sapper.

He was officially appointed to No.6 Tunnelling Company at Belmont, Perth, WA on 1 May 1916.

Charles embarked for the European theatre on board HMAT A69 Warilda.

The 7713 ton transport departed Sydney, NSW on May 22, 1916 and collected in Melbourne, Victoria the No 5 Company recruited from Victoria, South Australia & Tasmania consisting of a Headquarters and 2 Sections (8 officers & 173 men) (3 M.D.). 1 Section from Tasmania (3 officers & 76 O.Rs); also 1st Reinforcements for No 5 Company (17 men from Vic. & 8 men Tas.) The ship departed on May 25, 1916 for Adelaide, S.A. to collect one Section of 3 officers & 76 O.Rs with 1st Reinforcements of 8 O.Rs.

Docking at Fremantle, W.A. on June 1, 1916 No 6 Company recruited from W.A. of 14 officers and 325 O.Rs along with 1st Reinforcements of 1 Officer & 32 O.Rs embarked and Warilda departed the same day for the European theatre.

Durban, South Africa was reached on June 16, 1916 and Cape Town on June 21, 1916 while St Vincent completed the African ports of call on July 7, 1916. Discipline was fairly good except at intermediate ports where soldiers going Absent Without Leave caused concern. The fifty-eight day voyage experienced remarkable pleasant weather and terminated at Plymouth, England on July 18, 1916. Four, Five and Six Companies comprising of 1064 officers and other ranks were detrained to Amesbury and Tidworth to begin training for the front.

Charles proceeded overseas to France on 22 September 1916 and marched into the 2nd Australian Divisional Base Depot. He was transferred to the 1st Anzac Reinforcement Camp on 12 October and then to the 1st Anzac Entrenching Battalion on 16 October. On 26 October he was attached to the 1st Canadian Tunnelling Company.

Charles was accidentally injured on 4 July 1918, but remained on duty.

The 3ATC End-of-War Report records Charles taking part in the Givenchy Raid:

Charles was paired with 4462 Spr William Roberts and assigned to “B” Party – No.15 Platoon 1/4 R.L.R.

Charles proceeded on leave on 16 October 1918, rejoining his unit on 2 November. After the Armistice on 11 November, the Tunnelling companies were heavily engaged in re-building roads and bridges and clearing enemy mines and booby-traps.

He marched out for repatriation on 27 March 1919, leaving France on 2 April and marching in to No.3 Group at Codford on 3 April. Charles and 125 of his Tunneller comrades left London on 1 June 1919 on board Somali for return to Australia, disembarking at Fremantle on 8 July. He was discharged from the A.I.F. on 22 August 1919, entitled to wear the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

In 1925 Charles had gone back to mining and he and Elsie were living at Park & Hampden Road, Nedlands, WA. The Electoral Rolls for 1931 and 1936 record Charles, now a furnace man at the Wiluna Gold Mine, and Elsie living at 16 Woodley Street, Wiluna.

Charles’ daughter Ivy married John H Wicks at East Murchison in 1932. Elsie’s mother died in 1934:

His medical documents were forwarded to the Repatriation Commission, Perth in August 1940.

Charles William Walkerden died at East Coolgardie in 1941.

The 1943 Electoral Roll records Elsie working as a cook at the Victoria Hotel, Kalgoorlie.

Elsie Annie Walkerden died Perth 1945.

with the assistance of Geoff Mullins, great grand nephew of Charles William Walkerden.

Photos of Charles courtesy of Geoff Mullins.