Pte
Charles Reynolds
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 06/07/1875 |
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Place of birth: Tooman, Leitrim, Ireland, United Kingdom |
General information
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Last known residence: Cloncurry, Queensland, Australia |
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Profession: Miner |
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Religion: Roman Catholic |
Army information
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Country: Australia |
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Force: Australian Imperial Force |
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Rank: Private |
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Service number: 2235 |
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Enlistment date: 13/03/1916 |
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Enlistment place: Charters Towers, Queensland, Australia |
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Units: — Australian Infantry, 47th Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 12/10/1917 |
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Place of death: Decline Copse, Passchendaele, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 42 |
Cemetery
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Tyne Cot Cemetery Plot: XXXVIII Row: A Grave: 10 |
Distinctions and medals 2
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British War Medal Medal |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 3
| #1 | Last known residence | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place | ||
| #3 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Charles Reynolds was born July 6, 1875, in Tooman, Ireland, the son of Patrick Reynolds and Helen Teresa Smyth Reynolds. He migrated to Australia, where he resided at least from 1901. On March 13, 1916, he reported for military service. On Aug. 16, 1916, he left the Australian mainland behind. On December 22, 1916, he finally arrived in France. His unit was the 47th Bn. Australian Infantry, part of the 12th Australian Brigade, 4th Australian Division.
The 4th Australian Division took part in the First Battle of Passchendaele, part of the Third Battle of Ypres which had been in progress since July 31, 1917. The objective of the 4th Australian Division was to advance over the Broodseinde Ridge to Keiberg Spur on 12 October 1917 to flank the 3rd Division which was advancing north of the railroad towards Passchendaele. The 47th Battalion was given the task of capturing and holding the red line. This ran roughly from the railroad embankment to Assyria. Then the 48th Battalion would continue the attack.
The attack faced immediate setbacks. The soldiers were tired from marching through the mud. The battalion headquarters, located in a bunker on the Broodseinde ridge, was also hit. Nearly all the signalmen and couriers had become casualties, making further communications more difficult. The Germans retreated, but once the 48th Battalion advanced they faced heavy German fire from Vienna Cottage. This was in the 3rd Division's sector, but heavy resistance had prevented them from advancing. The German position at Vienna Cottage was eliminated, but finally, for lack of support, 47th and 48th Battalions had to retreat to their starting positions. Both battalions lost a total of nearly 1,000 soldiers.
After the war, Charles Reynolds was exhumed just north of Decline Copse, against the railroad embankment. He was reburied and currently rests in Tyne Cot Cemetery. He was 42 years old.
The 4th Australian Division took part in the First Battle of Passchendaele, part of the Third Battle of Ypres which had been in progress since July 31, 1917. The objective of the 4th Australian Division was to advance over the Broodseinde Ridge to Keiberg Spur on 12 October 1917 to flank the 3rd Division which was advancing north of the railroad towards Passchendaele. The 47th Battalion was given the task of capturing and holding the red line. This ran roughly from the railroad embankment to Assyria. Then the 48th Battalion would continue the attack.
The attack faced immediate setbacks. The soldiers were tired from marching through the mud. The battalion headquarters, located in a bunker on the Broodseinde ridge, was also hit. Nearly all the signalmen and couriers had become casualties, making further communications more difficult. The Germans retreated, but once the 48th Battalion advanced they faced heavy German fire from Vienna Cottage. This was in the 3rd Division's sector, but heavy resistance had prevented them from advancing. The German position at Vienna Cottage was eliminated, but finally, for lack of support, 47th and 48th Battalions had to retreat to their starting positions. Both battalions lost a total of nearly 1,000 soldiers.
After the war, Charles Reynolds was exhumed just north of Decline Copse, against the railroad embankment. He was reburied and currently rests in Tyne Cot Cemetery. He was 42 years old.
Sources 4
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Australian Red Cross Wounded and Missing Enquiry Bureau (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), RCDIG1064166). https://www.awm.gov.au Sources used |
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Deayton Craig , Battle Scarred: the 47th Battalion in the First World War (Newport Big Sky publishing Ltd, 2011).156-188. Sources used |
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First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920 (National Archives of Australia, Canberra (NAA), B2455, Reynolds, Charles). https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/ Sources used |
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McCarthy, Chris. Passchendaele: The Day by Day Account (Londen: Arms & Armour Press, 2018), 129-132 Sources used |
More information 4
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CWGC https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/464406 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=84982993-da8e-44a2-9930-c082423df3b6 |
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The AIF Project (UNSW Canberra) https://aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=253114 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/7561160 |