SAPPER CHARLES GATLEY
W14395 – Reinforcement 3rd Tunnelling Company
Charles Gatley stated he was born in Redruth, Cornwall, England in 1868. In the 1871 Census of Cornwall his family were residing at Pulla Cottages, Gwennap, Cornwall and the household was made up of his parents John (39) and Rose Mary (33) and their children William Thomas (8), John (7), James B. (5) and Charles A. (5) and Richard Henry (9mths). Charles was noted to have been born in Creed.
In the rural district of Redruth in 1891 the Census reveals Charles (22) was a tin miner and his wife Ellen (22) were living at Illogan Downs, Gwennap with their nine month old son John.
A decade later in 1901 their residence was at 44 Trevenson Moor with Ellen (32) head of the household and John (10) and Richard Henry (5) both born at Illogan.
The family came to Western Australia where their two-day-old son William Charles Gatley died on June 30, 1902 and was buried in the Coolgardie Cemetery.
In 1906 the family were living in Hunt Street, Coolgardie, W.A. with his occupation as a miner. A year later he had an accident that was reported in the:
He was working as a mine manager at Jourdie Hills in 1910 and in 1916 was living in Hunt street, Coolgardie and working as a miner.
Their son Frederick Charles died on June 8, 1916 aged 5½ years and was also interred in the Coolgardie Cemetery.
On May 24, 1917 at the Recruiting Depot in Kalgoorlie, W.A. the forty-nine year old married miner applied to enlist for active service abroad. Passing the preliminary medical examination personal particulars taken show he was 168cms (5ft 6ins) tall with a chest expansion of 109cms (43ins). Declared fit the recruiting officer accepted his application. Concurring the medical officers passed his medical examination, which stated he had good physical development with a pulse rate of 78, and weighed 76.3kgs (168lbs) with good vision in his right eye and fair in the left one.
Attestation Forms were completed which describe his chest expansion as 104-109cms (41-43ins) with a dark complexion, brown eyes and greyish black hair. Three vaccination scars received in Infancy were classed as distinctive marks. Religion was Methodist. Next-of-kin nominated was his wife Ellen Gatley of Hunt Street, Coolgardie, W.A. and had two children under the age of fourteen years. He was sworn in the same day.
Acknowledgment to departing volunteers was printed in the:
Basic training took place at Blackboy Hill camp near Perth, W.A. with the Xth Depot Battalion until June 5, 1917 when he was to be transferred. At the Recruiting Tent his conduct was marked as having no misconduct entries. He was allotted to the Reinforcements to the 3rd Tunnelling Company in the rank of Sapper retaining his regimental number of 14395 on June 20, 1917. He was granted Long Leave of four days from July 2, 1917.
Sapper Gatley was issued with a Military Discharge on August 10, 1917 due to being overage.
He returned to mining and a year later was mentioned in the:
In 1925 he was still mining and residing at Hunt Street, Coolgardie. By 1931 he was a farmer at the Miners’ Settlement at Southern Cross in the Kalgoorlie district with his son Archie where he remained until his demise.
Charles Gatley passed away on May 17, 1938 aged 70 years. Burial took place in the Southern Cross Cemetery, Southern Cross, W.A. The family announcement was published in the:
He is mentioned in the following book:
His wife Ellen died on September 26, 1956 aged 87 years. Their son Archie and his wife Edna were also interred in this cemetery with their inscriptions in memoriam as:
Archie GatleyEdna Grace Gatley
Husband of EdnaWife of Archie, daughter of James and Jane Broom
23 July, 1904 – 11 January 1983 sister to Muriel, (dec), Myrtle (dec), and George (dec)
21 January, 1917 – 26 November 2003.
PRIVATE RICHARD HENRY GATLEY
2825 – 44th Battalion
Richard Henry ‘Harry’ Gatley was born in Pool Carn, Brea, Cornwall, England about 1890 the son of Charles and Ellen Gatley. His early schooling was at Pool in Cornwall and then at Coolgardie State School in Western Australia.
At the recruiting depot in Coolgardie, W.A. on September 28, 1916 the twenty-four year old miner applied to enlist for active service abroad. Particulars taken during his medical examination reveal he was residing at Hunt Street, Montana, Coolgardie standing 160cms (5ft 3ins) tall, with a chest expansion of 95-100cms (37-39½ins) and his brown eyes testing to good vision. Declared fit his application was accepted by the recruiting officer.
Attestation Forms were completed adding further information that he weighed 77kgs (170lbs) with a ruddy complexion and brown hair. Wesleyan was his religious denomination. Next-of-kin was his father Charles Gatley of Hunt Street, Montana, Coolgardie, W.A. He signed and took the ‘Enlistment Oath’ on October 6, 1916.
Basic training began at Blackboy Hill camp with the 87th Depot Battalion on October 16, 1916 and then transferred to the 6th Reinforcement to the 44th Battalion on November 11, 1916. His rank was Private with the regimental number 2825.
The Reinforcement embarked from Fremantle, W.A. on December 29, 1916 on HMAT A34 Persic arriving at Durban, South Africa on January 13, 1917 for a day in port. Capetown was reached on January 17 and after a stay of nearly thirteen days departed on January 30. The troopship arrived at Freetown on February 12 for a stopover to refuel and left the dock on February 15. After a seventy-two day voyage under Master of the Ship, Capt C.E. Starck and Officer Commanding Troops, Lt-Col N.M. Brazier, the troops disembarked at Devonport on March 3, 1917.
The soldiers marched into the Details camp at Sutton Mandeville for further training for the front. On March 8 he was moved to Lark Hill camp where he was classified by the Medical Board with senility.
On August 20, 1917 he proceeded overseas to France via Southampton arriving at the 3rd Aust General Base Depot in Havre and on September 1, 1917 was taken on strength with the 44th Battalion in the field.
He was wounded in action on October 20, 1917 being gassed from a mustard gas shell and admitted to 2/1 East Lancashire Field Ambulance and transferred the next day to the 17 Casualty Clearing Station then conveyed on Ambulance Train to the 2nd Aust General Hospital at Wimereux a day later. He was moved to the No.1 Convalescent Depot on November 8 and about a month later on December 16 was transferred to the 3rd Rest Camp. He left for the Aust Infantry Base Depot on December 23 and rejoined his Battalion on December 27, 1917.
On June 4, 1918 he was wounded in action (2nd occasion) suffering a shell wound to his head and left arm and transferred to the 10th Field Ambulance then on to the 5th Casualty Clearing Station.
Private Gatley died of multiple gunshot wounds the same day. He was twenty-six years old. Burial took place in Crouy British Military Cemetery which was situated 10 miles northwest of Amiens.
His parents were advised of his death on June 17, 1918 and a copy of his War Service was made for the Pension Department on June 24. Copies of his Will were returned on September 16 and October 1, 1918.
His personal effects returned on February 10, 1919 on the transport Australag.
Photographs of his grave were forwarded to his parents on July 30, 1919 and further copies were issued to family on March 17, 1920.
For his supreme sacrifice the British War Medal (54941) and the Victory Medal (54100) were awarded to Private 2825 Richard Henry Gatley, 44th Battalion.
The War Medal was forwarded on May 20, 1921 to the Commandant 5th Military District to pass on to his father.
The Memorial Plaque (346424) was issued to his father on November 6, 1922 and the Memorial Scroll (346424) sent on 7 December, 1922. The Victory Medal was posted to his father on May 2, 1923.
His grave is located in Crouy British Military Cemetery, Crouy-sur-Somme, France in Section III within Row A in grave no. 14.
His name is memorialised in the Commemorative area of the Australian War Memorial, Canberra on Panel 138 and in the Southern Cross Cemetery, W.A.
© Donna Baldey 2015