FAMILY LIFE

Charles Arthur McIlrath was born c1887 in Lorquon, Victoria, son of Isaac & Sarah McIlrath. The family had been a resident of the Tweed district for many years. His father, Isaac, had played a large part in the development of the town and district, particularly as a founding alderman of the Murwillumbah Municipal Council, and was Mayor in 1905. Isaac was the founder of the first butter factory on the Tweed. His brother, Herbert, had enlisted on 25th August 1914

APPLICATION

Charles was single, and an engineer eager to do his bit. He travelled to Liverpool to enlist, stating his next of kin as his mother, Sarah, of Murwillumbah and he was Presbyterian. Charles was 28 years old and had served a 5-year apprenticeship with the Colonial Sugar Company in Sydney.  He was 5ft 3 inches tall (1.6M), weighed 134lbs (60kgs), with a fair complexion, blue eyes & fair hair. His eyesight was good. The Examining Medical Officer stated that Charles “can see the required distance with either eye; his heart and lungs are healthy; he has the free use of his joints; and he declares he is not subject to fits of any description. I consider him fit for active service.”  On the second page of the Attestation Paper, he made the following oath in the presence of the Attesting Officer: “I, Charles Arthur McIlrath, swear that I will well and truly serve our Sovereign Lord the King in the Australian Imperial Force until the end of the War … SO HELP ME, GOD.” 

 He was enlisted as a private into the 2nd Infantry Battalion, with service No 2711

2^ND INFANTRY BATTALION

The 2^nd was initially raised in 1914 in Randwick as part of the Australian Imperial Force during World War I. It was one of the first infantry units raised by Australia following its entry into the war. By the end of August over 20,000 men had been recruited into one infantry division. The battalion played a significant role in major campaigns, including Gallipoli and the Western Front

LIVERPOOL TRAINING CAMP

His training began soon after enlistment. Liverpool Military Camp was the main centre in New South Wales to provide basic military training. Conditions at the camp were generally poor throughout the war. For many it was their first time away from home. Men from every walk of life, from clerks and teachers to factory and shop workers, were crammed together.

Firstly, a recruit had to be inducted into military forms of discipline, command, and order. This was partially achieved through a program of basic training carried and, in a sense, was maintained for a long as a man was in the service. It involved marching and drilling with the rifle, cleaning and caring for personal equipment and being supervised and inspected in ways quite different to ordinary civilian life. For example, no boots should be allowed to get in a bad state of wear but must be sent to the bootmaker without delay for repair. Men who were found with hair long and unshaven had to have a haircut and shave

Secondly, after basic training there followed the far more serious exercise of turning a man into a fighting soldier at least partially prepared for the kind of warfare he was about to experience overseas

The topics and exercises in the syllabus of training were a world away from their former lives and included daily physical training, entrenching, wiring, firing rifle grenades, firing the Lewis light machine gun, dealing with gas attack, using hand grenades, using the bayonet, and the routines to be followed in the trenches.

This training was then put into practice during what were called ‘Field Days,’ when men would practice using the skills they had acquired in mock attacks both by day and by night. How well men had learnt to use their weapons, in cooperation with each other in training, would be tested in the harsh reality of the front line. Training would take several months

VOYAGE OVERSEAS

His unit embarked the HMAT Runic on 9^th August 1915. The epic voyage across the ocean has been described as “the longest journey to war in the history of the world.” They thought it was the start of a new adventure- for many it was their first time so far away from home. However, after some time at sea the biggest problem turned out to be boredom. On-board, Officers organised rigorous training drills and exercise sessions for the men. They were expected to do their own washing, sweep the decks and carry out other chores

Attempts at breaking up the boredom, apart from the regular drill, varied. Shipboard activities included regular church parades and concerts. Troops engaged in lifebelt drill; a cookhouse on deck; soldiers on fatigues peeling potatoes 'spud bashing'; going to the dentist; barber, pay day; soldiers cleaning personal equipment; medical inspection. Sports and recreation included boxing, deck quoits, draughts. Also, the commanding officer's morning inspection; kit inspections; submarine drill; recreation such as the on deck 'open air' library, deck billiards, pillow fighting and card games including Nap. As well, conditions on the ships were cramped and the risk of illness was constant. 

Three hearty meals a day were served; breakfast usually consisted of porridge, stew, and tea. Lunch included soup, meat, vegetables, and pudding. Meat, bread with jam and tea was served for dinner. Many of the troops experienced bouts of seasickness on the voyage. The crossing the Equator ceremony, ‘Neptune’s Journey,’ was played-out on each troopship.

EGYPTIAN TRAINING CAMP

They disembarked at Alexandria, Egypt, 28^th December 1915. But they were in the Army and more training was in front of them. They had already completed their basic training in Australia but over many more tough months the volunteers left their old lives farther behind. They began their training with physical fitness exercises, they were taught individual and unit discipline, how to follow commands, how to march, some basic field skills and how to safely handle his weapons.  Later, as soldiers specialised in a particular area (for example, machine gunner or signaller) they would be trained in specific skills and would take part in practice manoeuvres and sham fights. They would spend many hours learning training in the use of bayonets, anti- gas training and guard duty along with lectures on camouflage or trench warfare and much more.

Training would be for eight hours a day six days a week. All day long, in every valley of the Sahara for miles around the Pyramids of Giza were groups or lines of men advancing, retiring, drilling or squatted near their piled arms listening to their officer. For many of the battalions many miles of desert had to be covered in the morning and evening to and from their allotted training areas. At first, to harden the troops, they wore full kit with heavy packs. Their backs became drenched with perspiration, and the bitter desert wind blew on them as they camped for their midday meal and many deaths from pneumonia were attributed to this cause. Training would normally up to last 3 months.

WESTERN FRONT APRIL 1916

When their training ended, they headed for France.  On 22^nd March 1916, the 2^nd sailed for France and disembarked on 28^th March at Marseilles and the Western Front. After being landed in Marseilles, they proceeded north by railway to staging areas near Hazebrouck. Shortly afterwards, on 7 April, the units of I Anzac Corps were assigned to a "quiet" sector of the line near Armentieres to gain experience of trench warfare.

TRENCH WARFARE

The soldiers now found themselves fighting the German in trench warfare. On the Western Front in 1914–1918, both sides constructed elaborate trench, underground, and dugout systems opposing each other along a front, protected from assault by barbed wire. The area between opposing trench lines (known as "no man's land") was fully exposed to artillery fire from both sides. Attacks, even if successful, often sustained severe casualties. Trench warfare created a living environment for the men which was harsh, stagnant, and extremely dangerous. Not only were trenches constantly under threat of attack from shells or other weapons, but there were also many health risks that developed into large-scale problems for medical personnel. Apart from the inescapable cold during the winters in France & Belgium, trenches were often completely waterlogged and muddy, and crawling with lice and rats

The time soldiers spent in the trenches varied depending on factors like their army's rotation system and the intensity of the conflict in their sector. On average:

·      Front-line trenches: Soldiers typically remained here for about 4–6 days at a time. This was where the fighting was most intense and the conditions were the harshest.

·      Support and reserve trenches: After time on the front line, soldiers were rotated to these positions for around 6–12 days. These trenches were set further back and offered slightly better conditions.

·      Rest periods: Soldiers were then moved away from the trench system entirely for rest, training, and recovery, often lasting several weeks, depending on operational needs.

The rotation system helped prevent complete physical and mental exhaustion, but the constant dangers of trench life meant there was rarely any true respite.

ARMENTIERES APRIL 1916

Armentières remained a relatively quiet sector on the Western Front during World War I. It was primarily used as a training ground for newly arrived troops, including Australians and New Zealanders, to acclimate to trench warfare. While not a site of major battles that year, the area still experienced occasional skirmishes, artillery fire, and gas attacks. Soldiers stationed there gained valuable experience before being deployed to more active fronts

Due to concerns about a German attack, almost immediately the Australians set to work to improve the defences around their position. It had been hoped by the high command to initially keep the Australian presence a secret in order to gain some advantage from it, however, on 23 April it became apparent that the Germans had become aware of their arrival when a signal lamp flashed a message in Morse code from the trench opposite the 2nd Battalion's position stating, "Australians go home". To this, the Australians, despite orders against responding, replied matter-of-factly, "Why?

BATTLE OF POZIERES JULY 1916

The battalion’s first major action in France was at Pozières in the Somme valley in July 1916. The battalion entered the line on the night of 19^th  July as the 1st was sent forward to relieve the British 68th Brigade along with the 3rd Brigade; just after midnight the 2nd Battalion, after an approach march over which they had endured gas attack, arrived at its position opposite the south-western side of the village. This was the first protracted battle for Australian troops on the Western Front. By mid-July 1916 British attacks on the Somme had brought the front line close to the German occupied village of Pozieres high on the crest of Thiepval Ridge. For the British to advance Pozieres had to be captured. Three Australian divisions of the First Anzac Corps were assigned to the Western Front to help achieve this objective. Less than one third of the Australian reinforcements had fought at Gallipoli; they were largely inexperienced and ill-prepared to deal with the deadly onslaught of the battle-hardened machine that was the German Imperial Army.

It was at Pozieres that Australian soldiers were exposed to the full horrors of the Western Front. They were subjected to incessant German artillery attacks and devastating machine-gun fire, plus intense frontal assaults, all of which took an overwhelming physical and mental toll. During the operations around Pozières, the battalion lost 10 officers and 500 men killed or wounded. Later the battalion fought at Ypres, in Flanders, (Belgium) before returning to the Somme for winter.

BATTLE OF MOQUET FARM AUGUST 1916

After this, they were sent to Pernois for rest and re-organisation, and after being brought back up to about two-thirds strength the 2nd Battalion's next involvement in the fighting came around Mouquet Farm when they were briefly put into the line on 18TH & 19TH  August to provide reinforcement, before being quickly relieved a few days later.

Three Australian divisions launched nine attacks on the farm between 8 August and 3 September, suffering over 11,000 casualties. Despite fierce fighting, the Australians were unable to fully capture and hold the farm, as German forces used underground tunnels and cellars to maintain their defences. The British advance eventually bypassed the farm, leaving it an isolated outpost until it was finally captured on 26 September 1916.

SEPTEMBER 1916

In early September, the Corps was transferred from the Somme region to Ypres, in Belgium, swapping with the Canadians for a rest. Taking up a position north of the Ypres–Commines canal, the battalions of the 1st Division were placed in the centre of the line between those of the 4th, on the right to the south, and the 2nd on the left, to the north. The sector was a relatively quiet one, although not without its dangers due to constant mortar attacks, sniping, and the need to maintain patrols in no man's land. Nevertheless, duties in this time were focused mainly upon maintaining a defensive presence in the line and rebuilding the defences. In addition, several small-scale raids were also undertaken to draw some attention away from the fighting that was occurring on the Somme.

EARLY OCTOBER 1916

On 6 October, in concert with three parties from the 1st Battalion, the 2nd carried out a minor raid on a German position to the north-east of a position known as "The Bluff" to gain intelligence. After encountering a German patrol, they were forced to abandon their attempt, however, a short time later, one of their own patrols captured a German soldier from the 414th Infantry Regiment in no man's land. The next week, on 12 October, just after 6:00 pm a small party moved out into no man's land to raid another German position near The Bluff. After being spotted, they were subjected to several grenade attacks, forcing them to retire. Their covering force was already in position, however, and so several of the attacking force joined them and together, at 6:30 pm, after a box barrage by the artillery had cut the wire in front of the German position, they entered it.

Killing seven Germans, they overcame the enemy resistance and brought back two defenders as prisoners. On the way back, several of their own wounded became lost, although all except one of these men were later recovered. The other man, one of the officers, was later found to have died of his wounds. In total the raid had cost the battalion two killed and seven wounded

LATE OCTOBER

In late October, the 2nd Battalion was positioned in the front lines of the Flers–Gueudecourt sector. This area was a focal point of the ongoing Somme offensive, characterized by muddy trenches and relentless artillery bombardments. The battalion's activities included holding defensive positions, conducting patrols, and preparing for upcoming operations

WOUNDED IN ACTION 31^ST OCTOBER

Charles was wounded in action with a gunshot wound to his left arm. He was admitted to the 36^th Clearing Station

CLEARING STATIONS

A Clearing Station was a key part of the military medical evacuation chain used by soldiers. It was set up a few miles behind the front lines, often near railways or roads and positioned far enough to be relatively safe from artillery, but close enough for rapid access

The were staffed by:

·      Army doctors and surgeons

·      Nurses (including Australian Army Nursing Service nurses)

·      Orderlies and stretcher bearers

Soldiers were often treated here and the sent to hospitals for long term care

HOSPITALISATION ETAPLES

From there he was admitted to the 23^rd General Hospital on Etaples

HOSPITALISATION ENGLAND

On 5^th November 1916 he embarked for England and the 3^rd General Hospital where he stayed until he was discharged 2^nd December 1916.

COMMAND POSTS

In 1915 as the numbers of Australians and New Zealanders being discharged from hospitals in the United Kingdom began to rise it became essential to establish a depot for them to report to for convalescence and retraining before returning to active service. Charles was admitted to No 2 command post in Weymouth which received men who are likely to be unfit for duty for a period longer than three months. By 13^th January 1917 he was transferred to No 4 command post Wareham which received men who will be fit for duty in periods ranging from 3 weeks to 3 months. During his convalescing, his training carried on intensively - the tactics and technologies of the war developed very rapidly and he needed to be up to date with the newest weapons and strategies in place.

TAKEN ON STRENGTH 61^ST BATTALION MARCH 1917

While at Wareham, on 23^rd March 1917, he was taken on strength with the 61^st Battalion. It appears he did not leave this command post

REJOINED 2^ND BATTALION AUGUST 1917

He was transferred back to the 2^nd Battalion on 11^th August and marched into the Overseas Training Camp in Perham Downs. Perham Downs Training Camp was a major military training facility located on the Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England. Troops stayed there anywhere from several weeks to a few months depending on their readiness and the situation at the front.

TAKEN ON STRENGTH NOVEMBER 1917

Charles was again taken on strength on 24th November 1917. In November 1917, the 2nd Battalion was engaged in operations on the Western Front during World War I. Following the intense battles of the Third Battle of Ypres, which concluded in early November, the battalion was involved in holding and consolidating positions in the Ypres sector of Belgium.

The battalion's activities during this period included manning front-line trenches, conducting patrols, and maintaining defensive positions amidst challenging conditions characterized by cold weather, waterlogged trenches, and the aftermath of heavy artillery bombardments. These operations were crucial in securing the gains made during the earlier offensives and in preparing for future actions

DECEMBER 1917

On 19 December 1917, after the battalion had moved to the relatively quiet Messines sector in Flanders along with the other Australian divisions following their involvement in the Passchendaele operations, Stevens resumed command; Milligan having been elevated to the general staff. Throughout the winter, the Australian divisions remained around Messines, where they had been formed into the Australian Corps. During this time, the brigades rotated through the line, taking their turn to man the divisional sector. The 2nd Battalion had spent Christmas at Kemmel before moving on to Wytschaete Ridge on 26 December. They stayed there until late January when they moved on to Méteren

BELGIAN WOOD MARCH 1918

In early 1918, the collapse of the Russian resistance on the Eastern Front enabled the Germans to transfer a large number of troops to the west. As a result, on 21 March, they launched an offensive along the Western Front. On the opening day of the offensive, the 2nd Battalion's lines near Belgian Wood were raided by the 72nd Infantry Regiment and although the attack was beaten off, four men from the battalion were forcibly taken back to the German lines as prisoners. The initial attack, coming along a 44-mile (71 km) front between La Bassée and La Fère, was quite successful and with the Germans making rapid gains, the Australians were transferred to the Somme Valley where they were put into the line around Amiens to blunt the attack in early April.

BATTLE OF HAZEBROUCK 1918 APRIL

The 2nd Battalion, along with the rest of the 1st Division, were sent to Hazebrouck. Upon arriving there on 12 April, they took up defensive positions around Strazelle to await the German advance. On 17 April, while defending the village of Sec Bois, the battalion helped turn back a determined German attack. The Battle of Hazebrouck was part of the German Spring Offensive. Hazebrouck, a key railway hub in northern France, was vital for Allied supply lines.

The German forces launched a major attack, breaking through weakly defended sections of the British line, particularly where Portuguese divisions were stationed. The British and Commonwealth troops, including the 1st Australian Division, were ordered to hold their ground despite being low on reserves. The battle saw fierce fighting, with Australian and British forces successfully defending Hazebrouck and preventing a German breakthrough. The battle was significant in halting the German advance towards the Channel ports, ensuring continued Allied supply routes

1918 LATE APRIL- JULY

Following this, between late April and July, a period of lull followed. During this time, the Australians undertook a series of small-scale operations that became known as "peaceful penetrations". After relieving the 3rd Brigade around Méteren on 27 April, the battalions of the 1st Brigade began patrols on 30 April to capture German soldiers to gain intelligence and harass the enemy. These were generally met with considerable success, although they were not without mishap. Two separate patrols were undertaken by the 2nd Battalion on 2 May. The first resulted in one officer being shot while attempting to enter a German trench, while the second resulted in another being shot by an Australian sentry who had not been warned that a patrol had gone out. Later in May, they took up a position opposite Merris, remaining there until the end of the month. 

PROMOTED TO CORPORAL JUNE 1918

On 26^th June 1918 he was made corporal due to the death of the present corporal who was killed in action.

JUNE- JULY 1918

Throughout June and July, they alternated between Méteren and Merris during which time they continued to raiding operations, which advanced the line about 1,000 yards (910 m) without significant loss

WOUNDED IN ACTION

On 4^th July 1918 he was wounded in action with a gunshot wound to the head.

HOSPITALISED ENGLAND

On 5^th July he was transferred to England to the 3^rd Australian General Hospital.

WAR ENDED

He was unable to return to his unit as he was still recuperating from his wound and on 11 November, an armistice came into effect, and as hostilities came to an end, the battalion's personnel were slowly repatriated back to Australia for demobilisation and discharge.

GOING HOME

He returned to Australia 10 December 1918 on the Somali and was discharged 14 April 1919 due to medical unfitness.

 FOR HIS SERVICE

For his service Charles was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, and the Victory Medal

HOME LIFE

He died 10 Jun 1972 in Newtown, aged 85 and is buried in the Northern Suburbs Memorial Gardens and Crematorium, North Ryde, plot East Terrace 3 Wall 4

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