Charles Patrick GALLAHER #5023

Charles GALLAHER, 25th & 26th Infantry Battalions

Charles Patrick GALLAHER, was born at Murphy's Creek in 1889 and moved to Cooran with his mother Catherine and stepfather Henry Glover before the war. He volunteered to serve with the first AIF in January 1916 followed by his young brother Ernest a few months later.

Charles trained for several months in Brisbane before embarking on the SS Seang Choon with the 13th Reinforcements for the 25th Infantry Battalion, bound for Egypt. Once in Alexandria they were then shipped to England and joined their unit in France, by December 1916.

In October 1917 the 25th Battalion was engaged in operations in Ypres, it was here on 13 October that Charles Gallaher was seriously wounded in the left leg. The private was evacuated to hospital in England, where he was treated for his injury. Charles Gallaher eventually rejoined the forces in France in May 1918, and was transferred to the 26th Infantry Battalion, where he remained until the end of hostilities.

He returned home to Australia in March 1919. Charles married Florence Maud Lee in 1920, they moved to New Guinea and when the second World War began he again enlisted, serving until 1946. He died in September 1949.

* Family advice received is that Ernest and Charles Gallaher were of Aboriginal descent

Read more ...

• Service record: GALLAHER, Charles Patrick
• Embarkation roll: 13th Reinf. 25th Infantry Battalion
• Adopt a Digger record: Charles Gallaher
• Image: "Boys of the Cooran"

The information in this blog post has been researched by State Library staff and volunteers, it is based on available information at this time.  If you have more information that you would like to share or further research uncovers new findings, this post will be updated.