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Charles Henry Dench - Information

Charles Henry Dench was born in Ballygeary, Ireland c1894. His family came to Australia, where for a time they resided on Queen St in Campbelltown. When the war began, Charles was still in Campbelltown and working as a railway porter at the station. His parents then relocated to 10 Boundary St in Paddington and later Riverstone. At the age of 20, he joined up in Liverpool on the 9th of July 1915. Charles was shipped overseas aboard the HMAT Euripides as a Private with the 20th Battalion on the 2nd November 1915.

Charles arrived in Egypt, and was transferred to the 54th Battalion on the 16th of February 1916. In May, he was again transferred to the 60th Battalion and was transported to France. Charles and his new unit were put into action during the Battle of Fromelles on the 19th of July. The men ran into intense gun fire with most of the Battalion being killed or wounded, including Charles. Shot in the left leg, he was quickly evacuated to a casualty station. He was eventually taken to Middlesex War Hospital in England, making a full recovery. In September, he had rejoined the 60th Battalion in the lines. Soon the men in the trenches were caked in snow and cold wet mud. Consequently, by the end of the year, Charles began suffering with rheumatism. He was taken out of the lines in December. Shipped to England, he was treated at the 3rd Auxiliary Hospital and then to Perham Downs to recuperate. In March 1917, Charles was transferred to the 61st Battalion and returned to the front with the 30th Battalion in October. Throughout 1918, he was in and out of hospital due to a hernia. Charles returned to Australia in late 1919.