Not Forgotten, 3440 Private Charles Thomas DAY, 16 Battalion AIF, World War 1

On the War Memorial in Dowerin there is a C. Day listed. There was a Charles Thomas Day who enlisted in Perth, gave his occupation as a farm labourer, was killed in action on 10 August 1916, but has no connection with Dowerin according to his war record. However, there is no other C. Day that fits, so I believe that this is the man on the Dowerin War Memorial. Paul de Pierres, in his book Wyalkatchem and Districts War Service 1899-1976 has a Private Clarence James Day, a farmer who enlisted in the 16th Battalion on 2 May 1917 and returned to Australia on 25 January 1919. Paul has a photo of Private Clarence Day, and must have believed him to have a Wyalkatchem connection. I still think our man may be Charles Thomas Day, but I could well be wrong.

Private Charles Day, a farm labourer, was born in Fremantle the son of Jessie and the late James Day and was educated at Christian Brothers’ High School in Fremantle. He enlisted at the age of 25 in Perth on 9 August 1915 in 16th Battalion, 11th Reinforcements, embarking from Fremantle on HMAT A24 Benalla on 1 November 1915. He joined the British Expeditionary Force in Alexandria and was taken on strength
there on 10 March 1916, proceeding to France and arriving at Marseilles on 9 June 1916.

After the 16th Battalion withdrew from Gallipoli, the men returned to Egypt and the battalion was reorganized. The 4th Brigade was combined with the 12th and 13th Brigades to form the 4th Australian Division. Australian troops began to arrive in France at the port of Marseilles from Egypt from March 1916 and fighting began in early April, continuing through the summer of 1916 and the now infamous actions at Fromelles and Pozières took place in July and August. For the 16th Battalion, the battle at Pozières was their first major action in the Somme Valley.

The high ground at Thiepval was in German hands and attempts to take it were costly. The Thiepval Memorial, the Memorial to the Missing of the
Somme, bears the names of more than 72,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom and South African forces who died in the Somme sector before 20 March 1918 and have no known grave. Over 90% of those commemorated died between July and November 1916. The Australian 4th Division was ordered to proceed north along the Pozières ridge and capture Mouquet Farm. On the night of 10 August 1916 Australian patrols pushed out and established posts in the valley south of Mouquet Farm4. The 16th Battalion captured Point 78 but was unable to capture Mouquet Farm. Private Charles Day was killed in action in France on 10 August 1916, presumably in this action to capture Mouquet Farm. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Australian National Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux.

Private Day was awarded the 1914/15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.