The Life and Heroic (but Tragic) Death of Cpl. Charles Cecil Cearns
By Stephen Mulcahy
TFHS Inc. Member No. 8184
"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends"1 And so it was, that on that fateful night, at 2.30 in the morning, with a waning crescent moon2 casting a glow over the Western Front, Charles "Charlie" Cearns, with total disregard for his own safety, rushed to the aid of one of his comrades after a surprise gas attack from the enemy on their gun battery.3 When Charles succumbed to the effects of the gas, several hours later at the Field Ambulance, he knew that he would finally be reunited with his mother.
Charles Cecil Cearns was born in Hobart, Tasmania on Thursday 16 January 1890.4 Charles' father was James William Cearns, who from his Obituary published some forty-five years later,5 was a well-known and popular businessman who conducted a hairdressing and tobacconist business in Elizabeth Street, Hobart.
Charles' mother, Angela Cearns (nee Mulcahy), was the youngest sister of my greatgrandfather, William Henry Mulcahy. Angela was only eighteen years of age when she married James on 14 August 1889.6 Witnesses to the happy event were James' younger brother William and Angela's older sister Annie. It would be reasonable to assume that Charles was named after his grandfather, James' father, Charles who had died in Hobart eight years earlier. 7
Tragedy struck the Cearns family when Angela contracted and died from Typhoid Fever on 24 March 1892.8 In his paper presented to the Royal Society of Tasmania,9 Dr Stefan Petrow discusses the repeated outbreaks of typhoid and cholera in Hobart from 1853 to 1911. One of the primary causes was the poor sanitation and disposal of waste and this was particularly problematic in the middle of the Hobart township where the Cearns family was living.
At the time of her death, Angela was only twenty years of age and young Charles had not long turned just two years of age. Based on her contesting of Charles' estate, 10 it appears that another of Angela's older sisters, Alice Doran, raised Charles after the death of his mother.
Charles was raised in the Roman Catholic faith and was educated at Queens College in Hobart.11 Charles was a gifted athlete and oarsman and was a member of both the Derwent Rowing Club and the Tasmanian Amateur Athletic Association. His name appears on the Association's Honour Roll12 which was displayed at the State Library of Tasmania during the Centenary period for the First World War. On enlisting for active service13, Charles gave his occupation as "tobacconist", because after finishing his education he worked at his father's business.
Charles' military training commenced well before the outbreak of war, with his service with the militia 41st Battery of the Australian Field Artillery and later with the 9th Battery of the Field Artillery in Hobart.14 Eager to do his duty and serve his country, Charles enlisted for service just sixteen days after recruiting offices opened around Australia.15 Due to his prior experience and training, upon enlistment, Charles was appointed as a gunner with the 9th Field Artillery Battery which was part of the 3rd Field Artillery Brigade.16 Each Battery was equipped with four 18 pounder cannons which were reasonably well suited for their first active engagement at Gallipoli.
On 20 October 1914, the troopship HMAT Geelong departed Hobart with soldiers covering every inch of the decks.17 Initially the soldiers spent several months training in Egypt. Their ship had been diverted from England as Colonel Harry Chauvel had considered the facilities in England not up to the required standard.18
After taking part in the amphibious assault on the Gallipoli peninsular on 25th April 1915, Charles spent the next five months in that location. Although there was to be, perhaps, even worse ahead on the Western Front, the soldiers at Gallipoli were subjected to very harsh conditions including constant fear of attack, poor hygiene, lack of rest and sleep and extreme weather conditions. It was perhaps best described by Gallipoli veteran turned author, Ian ldriess, who stated "Of all the bastards of places, this is the greatest bastard in the world".19 In September of 1915, Charles was evacuated from the peninsular suffering from rheumatism.20
In March 1916 Charles rejoined his Unit in France and a month later was rewarded with a promotion to Temporary Corporal. In May of that same year, Charles was transferred to the 24th Field Artillery Battery of the 21st Field Artillery (Howitzer) Brigade which fell within the 1st Division Artillery.21, 22
On the first of July 1916, the Battle of the Somme began and with it the enormous loss of life which would ensue. There were over one million casualties, from both sides, in the five months which followed.23
On the night on which Charles was mortally wounded from a gas shell, his Battery, which was located very near the small town of Contalmaison - not far from Pozieres,24&25 had been laying down creeping barrage fire with their 4.5-inch Howitzer gun. Charles' comrade, who wrote to his father after the event, provided a vivid account26 of how, when the gas shell exploded, Charles' first thought was to rush to the aid of another of his comrades, Claude Heward who had received a serious wound from the exploding shell. As it happened, Claude went on the survive the war.27 Charles' next instinct was to continue operating the gun all the while ignoring the increasing effects of the gas upon himself. He finally collapsed and was taken to the Field Ambulance but sadly, later succumbed. A tragic and sad conclusion to what had been a most promising life for young Charles.
Charles is buried nearby at the Millencourt Community Cemetery Extension and my son and I visited his grave on 14 September 2019.
References
1 John 15:13, New Revised Standard Version Bible
2 Phases of the Moon, Moon Phase on 21 August 1916 in France,
Phasesmoon.com,
https://phasesmoon .com/france/paris/moonday21Auqust1916.html, accessed 1
September 2022.
3 'Tasmanian Casualties - Letter from Charles' unidentified comrade to his father, James William Cearns', Mercury, Wednesday 18 October 1916, p5, https://trove.nla.gov .au/newspaper/article/1035181 ?search Term=charles%20cearns, accessed 1 September 2022.
4 Births register entry of Charles Cecil Cearns, born 16 January 1890, Registers of Births in Hobart, Tasmanian Archives, RGD33/1/17/. No. 113
5 'Obituary, Mr J W Cearns' Mercury, 18 April 1935, p10,
https://trove. n la .gov .au/newspaper/article/30082700?search T erm=charles %20cearn §., accessed 3 September 2022.
6 Marriages register entry of Angela Cearns (nee Mulcahy), married 14 August 1889, Register of Marriages in Hobart, Tasmanian Archives, RGD37/1/48/. No.605
7 Deaths register entry of Charles James Cearns, died 14 December 1881, Register of Deaths in Hobart, Tasmanian Archives, RGD35/1/9/ No. 3476.
8 Deaths register entry of Angela Cearns, died 24 March 1892, Register of Deaths in Hobart, Tasmanian Archives, RGD35/1/13/ No. 1095.
9 Petrow, Dr Stefan, 'Sanitary Forum: The Royal Society of Tasmania and Public Health Reform 1853-1911', Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania, 2013, Vol 147, p. 1-10.
10 Service record of Charles Cecil Cearns, First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920, National Archives of Australia, P1868, CEARNS, CHARLES CECIL, p. 17.
11 Virtual War Memorial Australia, 'Charles Cecil (Charlie) Cearns', Virtual War Memorial Australia web site, https://vwma.orq.au/explore/people/200565, accessed 8 September 2022.
12 Photograph of the Tasmanian Amateur Athletic Association WW1 Honour Roll 1914-1919, original held by the author, Hobart, Tasmania.
13 Service record of Charles Cecil Cearns, First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920, National Archives of Australia, B2455, CEARNS, CHARLES CECIL, p. 1.
14 Virtual War Memorial Australia, 'Charles Cecil (Charlie) Cearns', Virtual War Memorial Australia web site, https://vwma.orq.au/explore/people/200565, accessed 8 September 2022.
15 Australian Government Department of Veterans Affairs - Anzac Portal, 'Enlisting in the Australian Forces during World War 1', Australian Government Department of Veterans Affairs - Anzac Portal web site, https://anzacportal.dva.qov.au/wars-andmissions/ww1 /militaryorganisation/enlistment#:-:text=Each%20man%2001%20'military%20age,days%20af ter%20the%20war%20began., accessed 9 September 2022.
16 First AIF, Order of Battle, 1914-1918, 'First Division (Egypt and Gallipoli 1914-15)' First AIF, Order of Battle, 1914-1918 web site,
https://aif.adfa.edu.au/OrderOfBattle/1 st Division.html#First%20Division%20(France , %20July%201916), accessed 13 September 2022.
17 Watson, Reg, 'Troops set sail into battle: Tasmania's Centenary of
Anzac March', News.com.au website,
https://www.news.com.au/national/anzac-day/troops-set-sailinto-battle-tasmanias-centenary-of-anzac-march/news-
story/44a80047 e803b44876d6ee 702df8cd9c, accessed 13 September 2022.
18 FirstAIF, Order of Battle, 1914-1918, 'Narrative' FirstAIF, Order of Battle, 1914- 1918 web site,
https://aif.adfa.edu.au/OrderOfBattle/1 st Division.html#First%20Division%20(France , %20July%201916), accessed 13 September 2022.
19 ldriess, Ion, 'The Desert Column' Angus and Robertson, Sydney, 1932, p.42.
20 Service record of Charles Cecil Cearns, First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920, National Archives of Australia, B2455, CEARNS, CHARLES CECIL, p. 5.
21 Service record of Charles Cecil Cearns, First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920, National Archives of Australia, B2455, CEARNS, CHARLES CECIL, p. 5.
22 First AIF, Order of Battle, 1914-1918, 'First Division (France, April
1916)' First AIF, Order of Battle, 1914-1918 web site,
https://aif.adfa.edu.au/OrderOfBattle/1 st
Division.html#First%20Division%20(France , %20July%201916), accessed 13
September 2022.
23 Imperial War Museum, '5 Things you need to know about the Battle of the Somme', Imperial War Museum web site, https://www.iwm.orq.uk/history/5-thinqsyou-need-to-know-about-the-battle-of-the-somme, accessed 10 September 2022.
24 Military Map, Ovillers Edition 2C, 1916, used in conjunction with the Brigade Diary to pinpoint the exact location of Charles' Battery at the time of the gas attack, original held by the author, Hobart, Tasmania.
25 Australian Imperial Force Unit War Diaries, 1914-18 War, Artillery, Headquarters, 21° Australian Field Artillery Brigade, August 1916, Item Number 13/43/6, p. 9.
26 'Tasmanian Casualties - Letter from Charles' unidentified comrade to his father, James William Cearns', Mercury, Wednesday 18 October 1916, p5, https://trove.nla.gov .au/newspaper/article/1035181 ?search Term=charles%20cearns, accessed 1 September 2022.
27 Service record of Claude Nevil Heward, First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920, National Archives of Australia, B2455, HEWARD, CLAUDE NEVIL, p. 19.
Bibliography
Australian Government Department of Veterans Affairs - Anzac Portal, 'Enlisting in the Australian Forces during World War 1', Australian Government Department of Veterans Affairs - Anzac Portal web site, https://anzacportal.dva.gov.au/wars-andmissions/ww1 /militaryorganisation/enlistment#:-:text=Each%20man%2001%20'military%20age,days%20af ter%20the%20war%20began.
Australian Imperial Force Unit War Diaries, 1914-18 War, Artillery, Headquarters, 21° Australian Field Artillery Brigade, August 1916, Item Number 13/43/6, p. 9.
First AIF, Order of Battle, 1914-1918, 'First Division (Egypt and Gallipoli 1914-15)' First AIF, Order of Battle, 1914-1918 web site,
https://aif.adfa.edu.au/OrderOfBattle/1 st Division.html#First%20Division%20(France , %20July%201916).
FirstAIF, Order of Battle, 1914-1918, 'Narrative' FirstAIF, Order of Battle, 1914- 1918 web site,
https://aif.adfa.edu.au/OrderOfBattle/1 st Division.html#First%20Division%20(France , %20July%201916).
First AIF, Order of Battle, 1914-1918, 'First Division (France, April 1916)' First AIF, Order of Battle, 1914-1918 web site,
https://aif.adfa.edu.au/OrderOfBattle/1 st Division.html#First%20Division%20(France , %20July%201916),
Gospel of John, The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the Unites States of America, 1989.
ldriess, Ion, 'The Desert Column' Angus and Robertson, Sydney, 1932
Imperial War Museum, '5 Things you need to know about the Battle of the Somme', Imperial War Museum web site, https://www.iwm.orq.uk/history/5-things-you-needto-know-about-the-battle-of-the-somme
Military Map, Ovillers, Edition 2C, 1916, used in conjunction with the Brigade Diary to pinpoint the exact location of Charles' Battery at the time of the gas attack, original held by the author, Hobart, Tasmania.
National Archives of Australia, First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920, B2455.
National Archives of Australia, First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920, P1868.
Petrow, Dr Stefan, 'Sanitary Forum: The Royal Society of Tasmania and Public Health Reform 1853-1911 ', Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania, Volume 147, 2013.
Phases of the Moon, Moon Phase on 21 August 1916 in France, Phasesmoon.com, https://phasesmoon .com/france/paris/moonday21August1916.html.
Tasmanian Amateur Athletics Association Honour Roll 1914-1919, original held by the author, Hobart, Tasmania.
Tasmanian Archives, Registers of Births in Hobart, RGD33.
Tasmanian Archives, Registers of Deaths in Hobart, RGD35.
Tasmanian Archives, Registers of Marriages in Hobart, RGD37.
The Mercury
Virtual War Memorial Australia, 'Charles Cecil (Charlie) Cearns', Virtual War Memorial Australia website, https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/200565.
Watson, Reg, 'Troops set sail into battle: Tasmania's Centenary of Anzac March', News.com.au website, https://www.news.corn.au/national/anzac-day/troops-set-sailinto-battle-tasmanias-centenary-of-anzac-march/news-story/44a8004 7 e803b44876d6ee 702df8cd9c
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