Armatree , NSW
39449
1st Light Horse Regiment/ Field Artillery
Gulargambone war memorial
Returned to Australia 22.7.1919
Gunner Charles Law39449
Charles Law was a 32 year old single farmer of Armatree when he enlisted for the first time on July 27, 1915.He was the first of three brothers to enlist in WW1. His next of kin was his father Charles, also a farmer of Armatree NSW. Charles enlisted at Liverpool in Sydney with the 1st Light Horse Regiment. The medical examination described him as 5’5” tall, 140lbs (63.5kgs), chest 35”-37”, ruddy complexion, brown eyes, good vision, brown hair, and no distinctive marks. He was a Presbyterian. After training in Sydney he embarked with the 1st Light Horse, 10th Re-enforcements on October 12, 1915 on the HMAT Pera.
After further training in Egypt he was taken on strength with the 1st LHR on March 19, 1916 when the unit was protecting the Nile Valley from bands of pro-Turkish Senussi Arabs. In May the unit returned to defend the Suez Canal. Based in the Sinai near Romani and patrolling the Katia area they learned to operate in the hot, sandy desert.
Charles was seriously wounded in the abdomen and leg at Katia, on August 2, 1916. He was sent to the 31st Australian General Hospital at Port Said, and to the 3rd Australian General Hospital at Cairo. His condition improved slowly and was returned to Australia on the HS Kanowna on September 22, 1916. On his arrival in Sydney on November 7, 1916, he was transferred to the 1st Australian General Hospital at Randwick until December 2, 1916.Charles recovered from the gunshot wound but was complaining of fits and severe headache. He was discharged medically unfit in Sydney on December 11. 1916.
Charles enlisted again on February 22, 1918 at Victoria Barracks, Sydney, this time applying for the Artillery. His application stated he was 34 years old, date of birth July 2, 1883, a farmer and his next of kin was his father, Charles. He stated he had served previously with 1st Light Horse AIF for 1 year and 143 days and was discharged medically unfit. His distinctive marks included appendix scar and a bullet wound scar on his abdomen. He was declared fit at Liverpool on April 30, 1918 and embarked on the HMAT Port Darwin at Sydney with the Field Artillery Brigade
On June 24, 1918, he was taken off the ship at Suez and admitted to the Government Hospital for mumps. Charles was discharged on July 12, 1918 and resumed his journey to the UK on July 27 on the SS Kaiser I Hind. He arrived at Southampton on August 13 and marched in to the training camp at Heytesbury.
After further training, Charles arrived in France and joined his unit, the 5th Field Artillery Brigade in October 1918 when they were near Escaufort Village in the north of France. When the Armistice was declared on November 11, 1918, he was marching from the Allonville area to Gaulaincourt near St Quentin.
In March 1919, the units were re-organised and Charles was attached to the 4th Field Artillery Brigade. He returned to the training camp at Sutton Veny, UK from France in May 1919 and embarked on the HMAT Ulysses on July 23, 1919, arriving in Sydney September 5, 1919.
Gunner Charles Law was discharged September 28, 1919 and given a pension of three pounds per fortnight. He was issued the 1914/15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal
In October 19167, he lived at 35 Taylor St Dubbo NSW and applied for the Anzac Commemorative Medallion and Badge. Charles died aged 85 years and is buried in Dubbo.