Charles Edgar Tidmarsh

Charles was born on 19 October 1890 at Golden Grove.  His parents were George Henry Tidmarsh, born 1859 in Mount Rat, Yorke Peninsular, and Ruth Denison Smith, born 1862 at Dry Creek.   

George and Ruth also had two daughters, Doris Edith Denison born 1888 and Ida Morphett born 1896.

Charles attended the Golden Grove and Modbury schools.  At the age of 16 the family moved to Angle Vale.  He was described as a having “upright manly qualities and a sunny disposition”, he was a regular attendee at the Angle Vale Methodist church.

Charles was a farmer worker working on his uncle’s farm at Angle Vale when he enlisted on 9 May 1916.  His father was deceased so his mother was his next of kin and was living at Angle Vale at first but later at 25 Cuming Street, Mile End.

Charles, a tall man over 6 foot tall, was 25 years and 5 months old when he enlisted.  He had a fresh complexion, with blue eyes and brown hair.

Charles was placed in the 3^rd Reinforcements of the 48^th Battalion.  He embarked on the “HMAT Ballarat” at Adelaide in August 1916.  From Plymouth, England he was transferred to Etaples in northern France.

The 48th’s first major battle on the Western Front was Pozières.  Here, it was tasked with defending ground captured in earlier attacks by the 2nd Division and entered the firing line on two separate occasions - 5 to 7 and 12 to 15 August. During the former period the battalion endured what was said to be heaviest artillery barrage ever experienced by Australian troops and suffered 598 casualties.

1917 was also a trying year for the 48th Battalion.  In two of the major battles in which it fought - the first battle of Bullecourt, in France, and the battle of Passchendaele, in Belgium - it was forced to withdraw with heavy casualties as result of poor planning and inadequate support. 

In the spring of 1918 it played a crucial role in blocking the main road into Amiens when the Germans launched their last great offensive. When it came time for the Allies to launch their own offensive, the 48th took part in the battle of Amiens between 8 and 10 August, and the battle to seize the Hindenburg “outpost line” between 18 and 20 September.  This was the 48th’s last battle of the war.  It disbanded on 31 March 1919.

He fought there until he became sick and went to hospital on 24 February 1917 with a septic foot. He developed Trench Foot and went to hospital in Rouen.  He went on the “Formosa” to England from Havre and was admitted to London General Hospital, Camberwell.  He was attached to the Provost

After some training he returned to the Western Front.

Charles was fighting in the Battle of the Amiens when he was killed in action on 8 August 1918 at 11.30am.  He was a Lewis Gunner according to descriptions supplied later by his fellow soldiers.   He was using his Lewis gun against the enemy from a trench at Proyart.  On rising to advance he was hit by a bullet from a sniper. He was buried temporarily at Proyart and later moved to Villers-Bretonneux.

Charles left everything he had to his mother or to his sisters if she predeceased him.  His mother later wrote that she was delighted to read that French women were looking after the graves.

Charles appears on the Smithfield and Two Wells memorial.  In 1919 a honour roll was unveiled at the Angle Vale Methodist church bearing the names of soldiers from the church and district who enlisted.  It bears nine names, two of whom were killed in actions, Charles and Private L. Thompson.

Charles was engaged to Gwen Fatchen.

His mother died on 4 June 1942 in Sefton Park aged 80 years.

His brother in law, Reginald Hopetoun Arney who married Ida also served during WWI.