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Percy Thompson – A Driver’s Story

September 21, 2015 aussiesappers 1st Field Field Company Engineers AIF, AIF 1914-1918, ANZAC, Australia, Gallipoli, Sappers - 1st FCE AIF, Sappers AIF, War History 100 years ANZAC Commemoration, 160 Percy Robert Thompson, 1st Field Company Engineers, AIF 1914 -1918, AIF Driver's, ANZAC, Australia, First Field Company Australian Engineers, Gallipoli Landing, NIZAM, Sapper, Sappers AIF, World War 1

160 Percy Robert Thompson

“Went in close to land rafts- hardly dropped anchor before the Turks had our range and were lobbing shells all round and over us, some only a few feet away- had to scoot further out of range. Afternoon, two boats of wounded, 30 came aboard (Hospital ships full) – some badly wounded, the boats looked like a butcher’s shop…” 160 Dvr. Percy Thompson

Not a typical day expected by a skilled driver of a team of horses and wagons……………..but as the following story reveals the Drivers of the 1st FCE were very much among the action and they would certainly make a name for themselves on the western front.

Scott Wilson a fellow writer, researcher and war history scholar has a number of stories published on WW1 veterans including an original member of the 1st FCE 160 Percy Robert Thompson. Scott has brought Percy’s diary’s and war experiences with the 1st FCE back to life in four chapters, Two of which have been reproduced here with his kind permission…. An excellent read.

Scott will follow up with another two chapters soon…………. please click this link to Percy’s full story.

Acknowledgment:

Story reproduced with the kind permission of Scott Wilson

Image by – H. Septimus Power -AWM – ART03334

1st Sept.1915 – Remembering – 211 Sgt. Charles Kewley

September 1, 2015October 12, 2015 aussiesappers 1st Field Field Company Engineers AIF, AIF 1914-1918, AIF Unit War History, ANZAC, Australia, Boer War, Gallipoli, Military, Sappers - 1st FCE AIF, Sappers AIF, Uncategorized, World War 1 100 years ANZAC Commemoration, 1st Field Company Engineers, 211 Sgt Charles William Kewley, Australia, First Field Company Australian Engineers, Gallipoli, Gallipoli Landing, Sapper, Sappers AIF, World War 1

211 Sgt. Charles William Kewley

211 Charles William Kewley was one of the tallest men in the company standing at 6ft 1 ½”. Charles, a tall Englishman, was born in Douglas, on the Isle of Man and had served in the Boer War in 1898, seeing service in South Africa and Somaliland. He had served a total of 12 years with the Royal Engineers in the British Imperial army.

When Charles enlisted in September 1914 he was nearly 36, an engineer and married to Kate Kewley( nee Ponting) and living at 386 Bourke st Surry Hills, NSW.

Charles with many years of military experience behind him was promoted to Sergeant prior to embarkation to Egypt.

On the 10th May 1915 Charles was wounded in the foot, the war record neither clear on the circumstances or the location, however he was transferred to Heliopolis and eventually transported back to Australia on board the “Horatio”. Also on board was fellow engineer Sgt. 34 Alexander Logan.

During the return journey home, his health was seriously compromised and Charles was ill with acute pneumonia. The vessel arrives in Melbourne on the 27th August 1915 and he was immediately transferred to the Base hospital in St. Kilda, Victoria and within a few days, on the 1st September 1915, sadly Charles dies from exhaustion and finally heart failure.

His wife Kate made a trip to the UK many years later in 1927 perhaps to see her family and the family and relatives of Charles and then returned to Australia. In 1937 she was still at the original address in Surry Hills when Charles enlisted back in 1914. It appears that Charles and Kate had no children during their marriage.

Coburg Pine Ridge Cemetery, Victoria, Australia

The following is the GWGC transcript relating to the Coburg Pine Ridge Cemetery……’ Country: Australia Locality: Victoria Identified Casualties: 191 Location Information Coburg is north of the city of Melbourne. The General Cemetery is in Bell Street, East Coburg, 6 miles from Melbourne. Historical Information There are now over 160 Commonwealth burials of the 1914-1918 war here and over 20 of the 1939-1945 war located throughout the cemetery.’

On this day Remembering – 211 Sgt. Charles William Kewley

Location on the Roll of Honour

Charles William Kewley’s name is located at panel 24 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial (as indicated by the poppy on the plan).