Pte
Charles Gustav Holding
Information about birth
|
Date of birth: 26/05/1895 |
|
Place of birth: Englesburg, Queensland, Australia |
General information
|
Profession: Labourer |
Army information
|
Country: Australia |
|
Force: Australian Imperial Force |
|
Rank: Private |
|
Service number: 1935 |
|
Enlistment date: 02/02/1915 |
|
Enlistment place: Ipswich, Queensland, Australia |
|
Units: — Australian Infantry, 25th Bn. (Queensland) (Last known unit) |
Information about death
|
Date of death: 04/10/1917 |
|
Place of death: Thames Wood, Belgium |
|
Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
|
Age: 22 |
Cemetery
|
Bedford House Cemetery Plot: III Row: C Grave: 12 |
Distinctions and medals 3
|
1914-15 Star Medal |
|
British War Medal Medal |
|
Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 2
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place |
My story
Charles Gustav Holding – a 22-year-old labourer from Cloyna, Queensland – served in the 25th Battalion Australian Infantry (Queensland) at the time of the Battle of Passchendaele. The 25th Battalion was part of the 7th Australian Brigade, of the 2nd Australian Division. Charles enlisted in February 1915, aged 19. In December 1915 he was admitted to a hospital in Mudros, on the island of Lemnos, Greece for the mumps. A month later he embarked for France. His service record explicitly mentions private Holding partaking in a successful raid in the night of 28/29th June 1916. Only two months later, shell shock was noticed. But, private Holding was to remain in the ranks. On the 14th of November 1916 he was wounded in action. He was admitted to hospital with a gunshot wound in his left elbow. He was transferred to the Beaufort Hospital in England and was later sent to the 3rd Auxiliary Hospital at Dartford, where he stayed until March 10th. He was then sent to Hurdcott Camp on the Salisbury Plain. In April he was admitted at the Fovant hospital due to sickness. In July 1917 he re-joined his unit.
On the 4th of October 1917, the 2nd Australian Division participated in the battle of Broodseinde. The goal of the attack was to capture the town of Zonnebeke and the ridge east of Zonnebeke. For the first time three Australian and the New Zealand Divisions were attacking side by side. I ANZAC corps with the 2nd Division on the left and the 1st Division on the right would advance South of the Ypres-Roulers railway line. The 2nd Australian Division attacked with two Brigades. The 7th Australian Brigade would push forward on the left of the Divisional front and the 6th Australian Brigade on the right. The 25th Battalion would lead the attack of the 7th Brigade. It would take the first objective, just east of Thames Wood.
The 2nd Division attacked at zero hour, 5.25 a.m. Just moments before the attack, the Australians had to endure a German barrage, postponing the attack. The Germans were preparing an attack of their own. At 6.00 a.m. the British and Australian artillery opened a barrage of their own on the Germans who were still assembling. The German artillery stopped at the same time and the ANZAC troops stood up and advanced behind their barrage.
The effect of the barrage on the German troops, who were just about to attack was devastating. The Germans were totally disorientated, due to the heavy shelling. They didn’t had the time to recover. Once the barrage passed, the Germans were rushed by the Australians. The German attack was utterly broken.
The 25th Battalion encountered some resistance of German pillboxes on the right, but most of them were captured fairly easy. The Germans didn’t expect an attack, because they themselves were organizing an attack. The battle for the town of Zonnebeke was hard. The 7th Brigade had to clear the town of snipers and other stall worthy defenders.
At 8.10 a.m. the 26th Australian Battalion moved through the 25th at Thames Wood. The 26th with the 27th in support managed to capture Broodseinde Ridge. The attack had been a vast success and the Germans were driven out of one of their most important defensive positions on the Western Front. At 1.50 a.m. on the 6th of October the 25th Australian Battalion was relieved and moved back to Westhoek Ridge, where they would be in support on the left of the Menin Road, relieving the 2/5th Manchester Regiment.
Holding’s Red Cross file states that he was killed by a shell, near the first objective at Thames Wood. He was buried in the captured German Cemetery at the hamlet of Broodseinde. His remains were exhumed after the war and reinterred in Bedford House Cemetery.
On the 4th of October 1917, the 2nd Australian Division participated in the battle of Broodseinde. The goal of the attack was to capture the town of Zonnebeke and the ridge east of Zonnebeke. For the first time three Australian and the New Zealand Divisions were attacking side by side. I ANZAC corps with the 2nd Division on the left and the 1st Division on the right would advance South of the Ypres-Roulers railway line. The 2nd Australian Division attacked with two Brigades. The 7th Australian Brigade would push forward on the left of the Divisional front and the 6th Australian Brigade on the right. The 25th Battalion would lead the attack of the 7th Brigade. It would take the first objective, just east of Thames Wood.
The 2nd Division attacked at zero hour, 5.25 a.m. Just moments before the attack, the Australians had to endure a German barrage, postponing the attack. The Germans were preparing an attack of their own. At 6.00 a.m. the British and Australian artillery opened a barrage of their own on the Germans who were still assembling. The German artillery stopped at the same time and the ANZAC troops stood up and advanced behind their barrage.
The effect of the barrage on the German troops, who were just about to attack was devastating. The Germans were totally disorientated, due to the heavy shelling. They didn’t had the time to recover. Once the barrage passed, the Germans were rushed by the Australians. The German attack was utterly broken.
The 25th Battalion encountered some resistance of German pillboxes on the right, but most of them were captured fairly easy. The Germans didn’t expect an attack, because they themselves were organizing an attack. The battle for the town of Zonnebeke was hard. The 7th Brigade had to clear the town of snipers and other stall worthy defenders.
At 8.10 a.m. the 26th Australian Battalion moved through the 25th at Thames Wood. The 26th with the 27th in support managed to capture Broodseinde Ridge. The attack had been a vast success and the Germans were driven out of one of their most important defensive positions on the Western Front. At 1.50 a.m. on the 6th of October the 25th Australian Battalion was relieved and moved back to Westhoek Ridge, where they would be in support on the left of the Menin Road, relieving the 2/5th Manchester Regiment.
Holding’s Red Cross file states that he was killed by a shell, near the first objective at Thames Wood. He was buried in the captured German Cemetery at the hamlet of Broodseinde. His remains were exhumed after the war and reinterred in Bedford House Cemetery.
