A century on from the end of World War I we acknowledge their service …
Lest we forget.
Lieutenant Charles Wigmore Calcutt
Born: 3 December 1879 Williamstown. Died 1949 Transvaal, South Africa
Enlisted: 16 November 1916 aged 35
Served: Western Front
Charles was an older brother of Gerald Calcutt, and one of four brothers to serve during WWI.
He served in the Boer War (2nd Imperial Light Horse) and afterwards remained in South Africa, where he was employed by the South African Railways.
Charles enlisted for service with the South African Overseas Expeditionary Force on 16 November 1916, a few months after the South Africans lost 2000 soldiers at Delville’s Wood on the Somme.
In July 1917, Charles was promoted to company Sergeant Major and to Lieutenant in early 1918. He was one of an estimated 50,000 “Other Anzacs” – Australians who served in the armed forces of Britain, other British Dominions or allied countries.
Married to Beatrice Eleanor Kerr, Charles returned to South Africa on 7 August 1919 and rejoined the South African Railways.
Tragically, they had two sons killed during WWII while they served with the British Royal Air Force in Europe: Frank was killed in action in December 1944 and Richard died in England in January 1943 while serving with the Royal Air Force’s 44 Rhodesia Squadron.
This is an extract from Patrick Ferry’s book A Century After The Guns Fell Silent – Remembering the Pakenham District’s WWI Diggers 1914-18.
For more details on this and other profiles in the book, head to the website www.pakenhamww1.com
