World War 1, South-West Asia, Turkey, Gallipoli, 307 HUTCHINS. 28 Battalion, 1915

At the age of three Charles had been placed in the Vasse Native and Half Caste Mission under the care of Charles Layman and his wife, Catherine (nee Guerin). Following the death of Charles Layman in 1900, Charles was fostered by Catherine’s sister - Eleanor Guerin, a teacher and boarding house keeper in Busselton. Charles attended the Busselton State School from around 1902 through to 1907
Prior to enlisting with the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) in Bunbury on 5 March 1915, Charles had been working as a mill hand at Kirup. He commenced training at Blackboy Hill was assigned to the 28th Battalion. On 9 June 1915, Charles embarked on the HMAT Ascanius A11 at Fremantle, arriving at the port of Suez in Egypt and then travelled by train through to Cairo on 2 July. The Battalion underwent further training before moving on to Gallipoli on 4 September. Some seven weeks after landing, Charles was admitted to hospital at Anzac Cove suffering from debility, which developed into enteric fever (typhoid) and was evacuated to Alexandria and then on to Netley Hospital in England. Charles remained in England for the next twelve months prior to returning to action. On 20 September Charles was wounded and severely affected by mustard gas.
He was admitted to the No. 3 General Hospital in Boulogne, and was later transferred to England to the No. 2 London General Hospital in Chelsea where he remained until 21 December 1918. During his time convalescing, Charles met Rose Edith Elsley, a voluntary worker whom he married on 19 March 1919. On 19 April 1919, Charles left England as an ‘invalid’ aboard the HMAT Marathon A74 and disembarked at Fremantle at the end of May. His wife, Rose, arrived six months later on board the HMAT Mahana. Upon settling in Perth, Charles continued to receive medical treatment until at least November 1920, and was discharged from the AIF on 9 March 1921.
Crippled by the wounds to his leg and the effects of mustard gas, Charles struggled with work, and in the later years of his life, survived on a small war pension from the Repatriation Department. Charles Hutchins passed away at St George Hospital at Kogarah, New South Wales, on 16 August 1952 aged 59 years. His ash es were returned to Western Australia and are scattered along with ose of h is wife in the Derbal Yerrigan in Perth.