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Charles Henry Glanville (MM) - Information

Charles was the first of his brothers to sign up for war service. He enlisted in Brisbane on the 19th of September 1914, when he was 30 years old. At the time, he was working as a farmer and grazier in Queensland. Charles was born in Nowra to John and Elizabeth Glanville, and spent a lot of his childhood in the Camden area. Charles naturally joined the Light Horse, becoming a Trooper with the 5th Regiment. He departed Sydney on the 21st of December 1914 on the HMAT Persic.

Charles landed in Egypt in early 1915. Shortly after arriving, he was admitted to hospital in Alexandria with the measles. Unluckily he was then admitted to Maadi with influenza in May. In July, he proceeded to the Gallipoli Peninsula, where he was attached to the infantry. The conditions in the trenches were horrible in the summer heat. Lack of fresh water, lice, and flies led to a potent breeding ground for illness. Consequently, in early October, Charles reported sick with jaundice. He was evacuated to Egypt, to No. 1 Auxiliary Hospital in Heliopolis and later the 1st Australian General Hospital in Helouan. At the end of the month, he returned to duty. The stalemate at Gallipoli was going to prove too costly to overcome. So the campaign was called off. Charles found himself back in Egypt at Serapeum in February 1916.

In early 1916, the Turks pushed on their success at Gallipoli with an attempt to seize the Suez Canal. Charles and his unit were brought in to help defend the channel and commenced patrols into the Sinai Desert. By the end of the year, they were chasing the Turks into Palestine. The unit was then involved in several attempts to capture the Turkish citadel of Gaza. It finally fell in November 1917. For his heroic actions and devotion to duty throughout this period, Charles was awarded the Military Medal in December. In 1918, operations shifted into the Jordan Valley. On the 5th of April, Charles was promoted to Lance Corporal. Later in the year, his health began to suffer. He reported sick in August, and was admitted to hospital in Jerusalem, with debility and influenza. In November, he was marched out to Suez to return to Australia. He headed for home on the Port Darwin for Special 1914 leave and for illness.