213009 Pte. Charles Cox Australian Imperial Force. B Coy. 37th Btn. from:Brent Knoll, Somerset (d.10th Feb 1918.) I have researched my Gt Uncle Charles Cox for several years. In the 1911 census he was a farm labourer in above village. I have photo of him as a boy soldier in 7th Battalion Princess Royal Hussars uniform with his brother at Dover in 1900/2 but cant trace any early service history. The war memorial in this village gave AIF after his name, leading to my download of his A.W.M. service record. The roll of honour lists him as Australian so did he obtain Citizenship before joining up in Melbourne on 21st Feb 1916.
As Bulford Camp Salisbury Wiltshire was the training grounds for his Battalion, why did he travel to Australia to join up in Melbourne, only to be shipped back in 1916 to uk and then France almost immediately?
His records show him as a Transferee, but again no details.
I have been to the Army records office, no answers. Also to the Imperial War Museum in London, where a book on 37th Batt gave details and map of the actual raid in which he died. This raid has been recorded in CW Beans War Diaries of History of 37th Battalion AIF at La Basse VilleWarneton. It quotes 2 Australian soldiers captured and divulged no info. A German order copied and distributed throughout the Australian Corps as an example of their Fortitude. Who were these 2 men and were they named and decorated? On this very site Awm4 23/54 Feb 1918 lists C. Cox 554 as a batman I see, so will have to research that. These writers deem this raid to have been of great importance, yet I have found very little credit or mention given between battle of Messines, Passchendale and the spring offensive! Only 5 or 9 men are reported as missing , presumed to have died, yet many enemy killed and captured, perhaps is why. I am keen to visit Plugstreet and search for this site.
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