Akers, Charles Alfred

Gosford District Casualties of World War One Akers, Charles Alfred Service Number 2516 Killed in Action 14th October 1917 Passchendaele, Ypres, Belgium

Gosford City Council gratefully acknowledges the voluntary efforts of Benalyn Campbell And Vivienne Tranter in compiling this resource

The information in this file has been extracted from official records held in the The Australian War Memorial and National Archives of Australia (ÂŠ Commonwealth of Australia [National Archives of Australia] 2013) Further information on this soldier may be found online at: Commonwealth War Graves The AIF project Content advisory: This file may potentially contain disturbing accounts of service-related injury and death, disease and family grief. Adult supervision is recommended for children using these resources. Individual files should be viewed within the context provided by wider research on service conditions in the 1 st AIF. This resource is presented by Gosford City Council for research purposes only. Please note that copyright for resources contained within remains with the original copyright owners.

NAME

Akers, Charles Alfred

SERVICE NO

2516

UNIT

35th Battalion

RANK

Private

AGE at Enlistment

29 yrs 9 mths

PLACE OF BIRTH

Parish of Locksley, Victoria

ADDRESS

Kulnura, via Gosford

OCCUPATION

Orchardist

DATE OF ENLISTMENT

3.7.1916

PLACE OF ENLISTMENT

Broadmeadow, Newcastle, NSW

PREVIOUS SERVICE NEXT OF KIN

Mother ;-Mary Ellen Akers, (Widow), “Woondooma” Kulnura, via Wyong

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

Height;- 5’6½” Weight;- 164 lbs Chest Measurement, 36/39½, Complexion;Fresh, Eyes;- Hazel, Hair;- Black

RELIGION

Methodist

EMBARKED

25.10.1916, Sydney per the Ascanius,

DISEMBARKED

28.12.1916, Devonport

NOTES

Reported missing 12 Oct 1917

WOUNDED/ILLNESS

Killed by shell fire

DIED

12/13 Oct 1917;- Passchendaele Ridge, Ypres, Belgium.

BURIED

(Re-Buried) Tyne Cot. British Cemetery, Passchendaele Plot 23 Row D Gve 17.

MEDALS

British War Medal-51361, Victory Medal-50681. Memorial Plaque -341187.

DEPENDANTS PERSONAL EFFECTS

Fountain pen (damaged), metal cup, letters, cards, cap comforter, cuttings.

WILL

CORRESPONDENCE

Letter dated 24 Feb 1918 from Mary Akers, (Mother) requesting information, also mentioned cousin J W Akers no 3230 having been put into a bed at Portsmouth just vacated by Charles. Letter from Mary Akers, (Mother) asking for explanation of package received, expressing grief at her only son being pressured into enlisting

REMARKS

Cousins: 3002 Private Joseph AKERS, 7th Battalion, killed in action, 4 October 1917; 3679 Corporal Mark AKERS, 46th Battalion, killed in action, 11 June 1917.

RED CROSS REPORT

Statement made by No 6634 Pte Sutton, 35th Btn re L/Cpl Akers C A 35th Btn “I was alongside of the above named man when he was hit with a piece of shell. He was hit about 4 o’clock in the morning of the 13th of October 1917, and killed outright and one of the Scotsmen helped me to bury him and we made his grave as well as possible. He was buried on the top of the first ridge. I could point his grave out at any time without any mistake.” Dated 1st Jan 1918. signed L R Sutton. Same informant stated on the 12.10.1917 “I saw him killed instantly by a shell at our first objective on the 12th Oct. at Passchendale Ridge about noon”. Informant;- Gnr J Patterson 1475 9th L T M Battery, 3rd A A Hospital Dartford. 26.3.1918 “I saw him killed at Ypres. He was caught by a shell, pieces of which hit him about the body, death being instantaneous, he was in a shell hole at the time. I knew him well, he was married to a relative of mine. He came from Wyong, where he was engaged in farming.”

NEWSPAPER REPORTS

GOSFORD TIMES 29.11.1917 Reported missing – Private C . A. Akers of Kulnura, Mangrove Mt.

GOSFORD TIMES 21.3.1918. Private C.A. Akers, recently posted as missing, is now officially reported to have been killed in action in France. He was the only son of Mrs Akers, of Kulnura.

GOSFORD TIMES 11.7.1918. In the Will of CHARLES ALFRED AKERS, late of Kulnura near Wyong in the State of New South Wales Orchardist and of His Majesty’s Imperial Forces on active service deceased. – Application will be made after fourteen days from the publication hereof that Letters of Administration of the Estate of the abovenamed deceased with the Will of the deceased annexed may be granted to MARY ELLEN AKERS of Kulnura Widow the Mother of the said deceased and all notices may be served at and all claims should be sent to the office of the undersigned to whom creditors are requested to render their accounts within the same period – CHARLES KENDALL ADRIAN, Proctor for the Applicant, Gosford. By his Agents, Messrs SLY and RUSSELL, 369 George St Sydney.