MOORE, Charles Mervyn

Charles was born to George and Jessie Moore in 1896 and his birth registered at Bundarra NSW.  He was a nineteen year old Farm hand on his family property Glenmore at Inverell when, with his parents consent, he enlisted in December 1915.  He had served ten months with the 5th Australian Light Horse before he joined other district men to form the First Contingent of The Kurrajongs who left Inverell together for the Narrabri and Armidale Camps. 

Along the way, The Kurrajongs stayed overnight at Warialda and then Moree where sports events and recruiting rallies were held.  At Moree, Charles was the winner of the Kurrajong handicap race run over 100 yards. 

Charles became a member of the 33rd Battalion, D Company and trained at Armidale and Rutherford prior to sailing from Australia in May 1916 on HMAT A74 Marathon.  His Battalion arrived in England after nine weeks at sea, and further training was undertaken at Salisbury Plain. In September Charles was transferred to the 3rd Battalion and sent to France. He was seriously wounded in September 1917 and invalided to Southwark Military Hospital, England with gunshot wounds to his head and arm.  After his return to Australia he was medically discharged in May 1918.

Upon his return to Inverell,the Mayor, Ald. Ring, met Charles at the railway station to officially welcome him home.  Before the War he had been a keen Rugby Union player and a boxer.  He died at Inverell in September 1953.

At Inverell Private Moore has his name inscribed on the town’s Honor Roll. In 1916 his name was also placed on the Honor Roll at the Methodist Church, which is now Inverell’s Uniting Church.