Enlistment Address

Blayney NSW

Service Number

2502

Unit

Mining Corps

Comment

Tooraweenah Kookaburra

Fate

DOW 29.9.1917

Information

Sapper Augustus Chalson was a 38 year old Fitter of Blayney when he enlisted with the Kookaburra March on 12 January 1916. He was described as 5’7”, 141lbs (64kgs), fair complexion, blue eyes, brown hair and no distinctive marks noted. His next of kin was his mother, Mrs A Chalson of Blayney, NSW; his father was deceased.

He trained at Bathurst, NSW and then embarked from Sydney on board the HMAT ‘Star of Victoria’ on 31March, 1916. After further training in Egypt he joined the 1^st Tunnelling Corps in France in June 1916. He worked at Hill 60, which played a vital role in the detonation of a series of 19 huge mines at the Battle of Messines.

Throughout 1917 he had several short admissions to hospital for an accidental wound to his left hand, dental problems and scabies. He was in trouble once for breaking censorship rules. On 20 September, 1917 he was hit by a shell with several others while digging dugouts. He was severely wounded in the legs and taken by the 14^th Field Ambulance to an advanced dressing station, where he died of his wounds.

He is buried in the Menin Road Military Cemetery; Belgium and he is commemorated on the Australian War Memorial on Panel Number 26, Blayney Pictorial Honour Roll No 1, Blayney War Memorial Gates and Blayney and Milthorpe District Roll of Honor.