Not Forgotten. 1888, Private Charles ALLANSON, 28 Battalion, World War 1

Private Charles Allanson was born in Terowie in South Australia son of the late Thomas and Rosalie
Allanson and attended school in Cockburn, South Australia. Charles’ occupation at the time of his
enlistment at Perth on 23 June 1915 was blacksmith. His eldest brother J. B. Allanson was a blacksmith
in Robert Street, Kalgoorlie and their sister, Annie Henderson, was living in Caulfield in Melbourne.
Another brother, George Allanson, ran the Acme Stores in Dowerin. Charles was aged 37 at enlistment.
He was placed in the 28th Battalion AIF, went to Blackboy Hill for training and then on to France,
departing from Fremantle on 2 September 1915 on H.M.A.T. A68 Anchises. The 28th Battalion was
raised at Blackboy Camp in Western Australia on 16 April 1915 from recruits previously earmarked for
the 24th Battalion, which was instead being raised in Victoria. At Gallipoli, the 7th Brigade, which
included the 28th Battalion, reinforced the weary New Zealand and Australian Division. The 28th had a
relatively quiet time at Gallipoli and the battalion departed the peninsula in December, having suffered
only light casualties.

After another stint in Egypt, the 7th Brigade proceeded to France and the Western Front, as part of the
2nd Australian Division. In mid-March 1916, the 28th was part of the first body of Australian troops to
deploy to the European battlefield. In early April, the 28th Battalion entered the front line around
Armentières, holding the right-hand sector of the 7th Brigade's line. Private Charles Allanson was killed
in action between 4 and 6 April 1916 at the age of 40.

Private Allanson was awarded the British War Medal, the 1914/15 Star and the Victory Medal. He has
no known grave and is commemorated on the Australian National Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux.