Augustus Victor Catterall

Submitted by Mt Kembla Minin... on Sat, 04/04/2015 - 11:31
First Name: 
Augustus
Middle Name: 
Victor
Last Name: 
Catterall
Date of Birth: 
Thursday, June 8, 1893
Mother's Name: 
Harriet Cattgerall (nee Dibley)
Father's Name: 
Peter Catterall
Date Enlisted: 
Sunday, August 15, 1915
Rank at Enlistment: 
Private
Unit: 
1st Battalion
Company: 
12th Reinforcement
Service: 
Infantry
Awards: 
British War Medal
Victory Medal
1914/15 Star
Date of Death: 
Monday, May 27, 1918
Place of Death: 
France
Cause of Death: 
Killed in action
Details: 

Augustus Catterall (Service No 7716) was born in Lismore, N.S.W.  While growing up he was a student at Unanderra Public School.

When he enlisted, at Holsworthy, N.S.W., he was living at Paddington, N.S.W., 21 years of age, single, and working as a jockey. Augustus nominated his sister, Rachel Callaway, who lived at Fig Tree (Figtree), a suburb of Wollongong, N.S.W. as his next of kin.

Augustus initially embarked with his Unit from Sydney, but was taken off the ship on its arrival in Fremantle, and returned to Sydney, per S.S. Indarra.  No reason for his return to Sydney is given on his official papers, but Augustus was formally discharged, medically unfit, from the AIF on 1 March, 1916.

On 29th October, 1917, Augustus re-enlisted, still a single man living at Paddington, now 23 years of age.

He embarked with 26th Reinforcement, 1st Battalion on HMAT A38 Ulysses on 19th December, 1917. and disembarked at Suez,

After training in the Middle East, Augustus was sent to England.  On 26 January, 1918, he was appointed Acting Sergeant, but reverted back to Private on marching in to the 1st Training Battalion at Sutton Veny, England, on 13 February, 1918. Sutton Veny was a training post for soldiers before they were sent to fight in Northern France.  

Augustus went on to serve on the Western Front.  On the 27th May, 1918, he was killed in action in France.

His family was advised in 1922 that searches had failed to locate his grave.

Augustus is commemorated on the Australian Memorial at Villers- Bretonneaux France, and on the Unanderra Public School Honour Roll.

Sources: 
NAA: B2455. CATTERAL A V

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Comments

Ken Allen (not verified)

Sat, 30/04/2016 - 17:23

The Attestation Paper for Augustus on enlistment states that he was 21 years 2 months. This would make his birth year 1894 not 1893. In actual fact, he was born in 1897 [NSW Birth Index #22910] which made him age 18 when he enlisted and, assuming his birth month is correct, died two weeks before his 21st birthday. Peter and Harriet Catterall were the grandparents of Augustus. His mother, Rachael Catterall, gave birth to him when she was 18 and unmarried. Augustus was only 4 years younger than his mother's youngest sibling so I have no doubt that he was raised as a member of that family, to avoid stigma, perhaps believing that his uncles and aunts, including his mother, were his siblings. Rachael married William Callaway in 1900 and it is assumed that he did not know the true relationship between Rachael and Augustus leading to Augustus nominating his "sister" as his next of kin. The reason for his being taken off the ship in Fremantle and returned to Sydney before being discharged was because he had contracted Syphilis.