SAPPER CHARLES McKNIGHT LEVY
8212 – 1st Tunnelling Company
Born at Warrnambool, Victoria in 1897, Charles was the son of Joseph and Emily (nee Mayne) Levy. At the Recruiting Depot at Balaclava, Victoria on 23 July 1917, Charles completed at ‘Application to Enlist in the Australian Imperial Force’. He had the written permission of his father and his mother. A preliminary medical examination found him to be ‘fit for active service’ and his application was accepted the same day.
He signed the ‘Attestation paper of Persons Enlisted for Service Abroad’, and the Oath to ‘well and truly serve’, at St Kilda, Victoria on 23 July 1917. He was 20 years and 2 months of age and a hairdresser by trade.
A medical examination the same day recorded that he was 5ft 6ins tall and weighed 130 lbs. He had a dark complexion, brown eyes and black hair. Scars on his back and legs were recorded as distinguishing marks. He was of the Church of England faith.
Previous service of 2 years with the 7th Field Company Engineers as a Driver was recorded, as well as 4 years with the Senior Cadets.
He named as his Next-of-Kin his father Joseph Levy of Timor Street, Warrnambool.
Training started at the Recruit Depot, Broadmeadows on 3 September 1917. On 24 September he was transferred to the Engineer Reinforcements at Bendigo, Victoria. He had his final leave from 26 September to 1 October. Charles was officially appointed to the June Reinforcements Tunnelling Company’s on 22 November 1917 at Seymour.
130 members of the June Reinforcements departed Melbourne, Victoria at noon on November 26, 1917 aboard the SS Indarra. Charles was admitted to the Ship’s Hospital on 29 November and discharged the next day. On November 30 at 10.15 p.m. the ship arrived at Albany, W.A. and departed at 2.10 p.m. on December 1, 1917. Colombo, Ceylon was reached by December 13 at 10.30 a.m. and departed two days later at 8.30 a.m. on December 15. Christmas Day was specially provided for by the ship and religious services were held on board. The troops disembarked at the Suez at 7 a.m. December 27, 1917. Amusements such as sports and cricket between various troop decks took place with some competitive teams made up of officers. Occasionally a religious service was held during the week. Weather was excellent and warm in the tropics.
The troops were transhipped to HMT Kashgar on January 9, 1918 and arrived at Taranto, Italy on January 20, 1918. They were entrained at Bordighira, Italy about January 27 arriving at Cherbourg, France on January 31, 1918 where they boarded H.M.T. Mona’s Queen and disembarked at Southampton on February 2, 1918. The men were entrained to Parkhouse camp and marched into No.3 Details camp the same day for further training for the front. They had gone from the tropic summer into the Northern winter.
On 7 February he was admitted to the Delhi Hospital at Parkhouse and transferred the same day to the Tidworth Military Hospital at Tidworth with influenza. On 26 March he was discharged from hospital to the Training Depot.
Charles proceeded overseas to France on 8 April 1918 and marched in to the Australian General Base Depot (AGBD) at Rouelles on 9 April. He was transferred to the Australian Corps Depot at Caestre on 18 April and marched out to join the 1st Australian Tunnelling Company (1ATC) the next day where he was taken on strength on 19 April.
Charles was a member of No.2 Squad (under Sgt J. Yeats), No.1 Section (under Captain McBride). On 21 April the Section moved from Saulty on to the site of dug-outs work, their camp to be known as “The Quarry”. The camp was in a wood on the Montecourt Road close to the junction of the road to Humbercourt.
On 22 April they commenced work on Battalion H.Q. dug-outs Type III. On 24 April No.1 Section commenced work on 4 Machine Gun emplacements with accompanying dug-outs.
Charles attended a Musketry School in the fortnight ending 23 June 1918 where his results were not as good as others in his section.
The units War Diary for 21 June 1918 records:
‘Cloudy, some rain. Influenza epidemic begins & continues all the month with increasing severity. Affects No.1 Section first.’
1ATC was at that time based at Medlow Camp, and in July No.1 Section was working near Daours. The Unit transferred from Medlow Camp to Rivery and their War Diary records:
‘This transfer necessitated a number of radical changes in the carrying on of the work and in administration.
WORK – When Sections are living in advance of their billets or camps, not infrequently jobs are in such positions That they can be reached only at night. In such cases it is necessary for the men to live on the job and their rations are sent to them at night along with supplies. This involves additional work in subdivision of rations and on the handling of supplies. It also becomes necessary to withdraw men to relatively safe areas for resting, so that only about ¾ of the active strength is working at any one time.’
Charles reported sick on 19 July and was treated at the 10th Australian Field Ambulance before being transferred to the 47th Casualty Clearing Station the same day with rheumatism. On 25 July he was transferred to Ambulance Train 7 and then to the Line of Command Hospital (16th General Hospital) at Le Treport on 26 July suffering bronchitis.
Charles was transferred to Ambulance Train 21 on 12 August and invalided to England on 16 August on board Hospital Ship Essequiento where he was admitted to the 5th Southern Hospital at Portsmouth on 17 August with chronic bronchitis. On 18 October he was transferred to the 3rd Auxiliary Hospital at Dartford and discharged to furlough on 19 October, to report to No.4 Command Depot on 2 November.
Charles did not report until 13 November, his lateness excused when he was admitted to the 1st Auxiliary Hospital at Harefield the same day. On 7 December he was transferred from Administrative Headquarters (Furlough) to the 1st Auxiliary Hospital and was discharged from hospital on 27 December, marching in to No.1 Command Depot, Sutton Veny, on 28 December.
He reported sick on 15 January and was admitted to the Group Clearing Hospital until 5 February when he was discharged to No.2 Group Command, Weymouth. He was again hospitalised at Weymouth on 14 March but details are not recorded.
Charles left London on 25 March 1919 for return to Australia on board Hospital Transport Karoa listed as ‘gas poisoning (shell gas)’. He disembarked at Melbourne on 8 May 1919.
“When mums father Charles Levy returned from the First World War in 1919 he was transferred in service to the MacLeod Military Hospital in outer Melbourne, Victoria where he was a patient and worked as a hairdresser to the returned soldier patients. The Macleod Military Hospital was part of what was then a new facility for mental patients (Mont Park Mental Hospital) and operated its own farm (hay, vegetables, dairy/milk, root crops, eggs, and meat birds, pigs, an orchard of 1000 fruit trees all enclosed in a rabbit proof fence). Earlier, after Federation, when Australia had no standing army and relied on trained volunteer groups, the land was used for militia training. Part of the land area is now occupied by the La Trobe University. The MacLeod Military Hospital section of Mont Park was the first hospital to treat soldiers returning from the war who suffered from mental problems (“shell shock”) but it was little understood.”
Wayne Collins
Discharged from the A.I.F. on 11 October 1919 in Melbourne, Charles was entitled to wear the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
The 1919 Electoral Roll records Charles living at 336 Timor Street, Warrnambool and working as a Hairdresser. Also living at 336 Timor Street was his father Joseph Levy, Saddler. George Edward Levy, Bootmaker, is also living in Timor Street.
In 1921 Charles married Florence Amy Anderson at Melbourne, Victoria.
“He married Amie Anderson in 1921 and a daughter Florence Emily Devon Levy, (my mother) was born later that year. Mum said that following his discharge from the Army he apparently found it difficult to settle down and find employment and for a while was engaged in trapping rabbits to earn a living and was away from home.
Wayne Collins
In 1922 Charles is a Hairdresser living at Mirboo North, Gippsland with Florence Amy Levy. He received his British War Medal at Victoria Barracks in March of that year.
“The marriage floundered and Mums mother, Amy Levy (nee Anderson) walked out on her husband Charles Levy and mum in 1923 when they were living in Gippsland, Victoria. When she left the marriage she took mum and placed her in an orphanage when she was only 2 years of age. When Charles returned home he didn’t know where his daughter was or what had happened. Just why Amie left in these circumstances and what the circumstances were at the time I have never been able to fathom and mum never gave me an answer. Possibly she suffered from a form of postnatal psychosis and suffered the impact of the war experiences on Charley Levy, for he must have been severely impacted by his war experience. It must have been a most difficult time for everyone”
Wayne Collins
1924 finds Charles is living at Mirboo North and working as a Hairdresser.
“Her father soon arranged to remove Florence from the orphanage and place her in the care of a local couple whom he paid to look after mum during week days whist he was at work and later to others. One couple proved to be bad people who physically abused her, gave her little food and regularly hit her with a leather strap. The neighbours raised concern and her father started to notice strap marks across her body. He reported the couple to the authorities and took mum away and placed her in the care of a kind Irish lady. Her father devoted himself to caring for mum. It was the elderly Irish lady carer that gave her the nickname “Peg” after a popular song “Peg of my Heart” published in 1913 and featured in the Musical Ziegfeld Follies. When mum was four (late1925) father and daughter moved to Numurkah, Victoria where he worked as a hairdresser and mum started school soon thereafter. Mum was again placed with carers and her father called on her nearly every day and spent lots of time with her at weekends.”
Wayne Collins
The 1925 and 1927 Electoral Rolls record Charles working as a hairdresser at Numurkah, Victoria.
In 1930 Charles married Winifred Anne Hodgson at Melbourne, Victoria.
In the 1931 Electoral Rolls Charles is a Hairdresser living at Numurkah, with Winifred recorded living at Saxton Street performing home duties.
In February 1933 his service and medical records were provided to the Repatriation Department, Melbourne.
The Electoral Roll of 1936 record Charles as a Hairdresser living at Numurkah, Victoria with Winifred, hone duties, living at Saxton Street, Numurkah. A second edition of the 1936 Rolls record Charles living at Cressy Street, Deniliquin, NSW with Winifred, both listed as Hairdressers.
In 1937 Charles is a Hairdresser living at Cressy Street, Deniliquin with Winifred, both listed as Hairdressers in the Electoral Roll.
In 1943 Charles is living at 1 Wellington Street, Deniliquin with Winifred Anne Levy, both listed as Hairdressers in the Electoral Roll.
Charles died at Deniliquin, NSW on 17 November 1945, aged 48 years, and is buried in the Deniliquin Cemetery.
His brother Joseph also served in WW1:
“I was interested to discover that Joseph Levy enlisted in 1915 as a Gunner in the 3rd Field Artillery Brigade, Battery 9, under the name of “Jack Leahy” – he changed his name presumably because he did not want to enlist and travel to Europe and Middle East under a Jewish name. Joseph fought at Gallipoli and in Belgium. He died of wounds in 1917 and is buried at Lijssenthoek War Memorial Cemetery in Belgium (grave XXI. GG. 7A). His war records were later corrected by his family and his possessions returned – but only after some difficulties in proving his identity. In 2012 I advised my brother Tod and he and his wife Janice visited the grave whilst in Belgium in August 2012 and sent me a photograph of his tombstone. It reads – “J. Levy served as 2008 Gunner J. Leahy Aust. Field Artillery 5th November 1917 Age 30”.
Wayne Collins
Records indicate that Joseph (Jack), a Chauffeur by trade, enlisted on 14 August 1914, recording his Next-of-Kin as his father, Mr. George Leahy of Manifold Street, Camperdown, Victoria. He embarked on HMAT A22 Rangatira on 25 September 1914 with the 9th Battery, 3rd Field Artillery Brigade.
Joseph left Suez for return to Australia on Hospital Transport Ceramic (Port Lincoln in some records) on4 May 1915 for discharge due to illness, arriving in Australia on 1 June 1915 where he was sent to Broadmeadows for duty.
Records also indicate that he re-embarked at Melbourne on 10 August 1915 on board HMAT Persic. He embarked for the Gallipoli Penisula from Zeiton on H.T. Hitonian on 3 October 1915 and was taken on strength of the 2nd Field Artillery Brigade on 13 October.
In December 1915 he was admitted to No.15 General Hospital, Alexandria with jaundice. On 4 January 1916 he was transferred to Ras-al-Tin Convalescent Home, re-joining his unit at Tel-el-Kebir on 22 January.
On 10 July 1916 in France he was taken on strength of the 103rd Howitzer Battery, 3rd Field Artillery Brigade. In January 1917 he spent 2 days in hospital.
He had illnesses requiring short hospitalisations in April and June, rejoining his unit on 3 July 1917.
Joseph Levy, alias Jack Leahy, died of wounds on 5 November 1917 at the 10th Casualty Clearing Station and was buried in Lijssenthoek Cemetery, Plot XXI; Section GG; grave 7A.
War memorabilia relating to Josephs’ service was passed to his father in the following years. It included the 1914/15 Star, British War medal, Victory medal, Memorial Plaque, Memorial Scroll and the pamphlet “Where The Australians Rest”.
Joseph Levy's name is located at panel 13 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial.
LEST WE FORGET
© Donna Baldey 2015 /2016
with the assistance of Wayne Collins, grandson of Charles McKnight Levy
and Tracey Elliott