DOWLING, Charles Edward VETERAN

Name – DOWLING, Charles Edward VETERAN
Born – 1897
Died – 8/05/1935
Location – No 12 Catholic Section
Mother – Anna Murphy
Father – Charles John Dowling

Notes – Charles was born to Annie (nee Murphy) and Charles John Dowling of St Leonards, NSW. He had four siblings, Emily 1894, Stephen 1895, Francis 1904 and Madaline 1910.

At the age of 21, Charles gave up farming and enlisted during WWI. His next of kin was his mother, Mrs Anna Dowling who lived at Queenscliff Rd, Queenscliff, Manly, NSW. He embarked on the Marilda from Sydney on the 22nd May 1916 to go to Plymouth, England.

He was a member of 3/45th Battalion and was sent to France. He was wounded twice, once in October 1917 with a gunshot wound to the left forearm, and then wounded again in July 1918 from a gas shell. Before his discharge he had attained the rank of Lance Corporal, and returned to Australia on the Beltava on 2nd June, 1919.

Charles married Nellie Norris when he was 29 yrs old and she was 26 years old. Nellie died two years later. She was a talented pianist and played for the silent movies and helped raise money for the Windsor Hospital in Sydney for the purchase of their first hospital trolly.

In 1931 the electoral roll states Charles was operating a pub at Stafford St, Warren,  with his occupation listed as Hotel Keeper.

Charles moved to the Tara district around 1933 and was a member of the Tara R.S.S.A.I.L. Charles died from pneumonia in the Tara Hospital. Charles was known as ‘Chick’ and was well liked and respected in the town.

Charles Edward Dowling has no headstone on his grave to mark his final resting place.

Newspaper Article – Click Here

War Service File  – DOWLING, Charles Edward

Learn more about the Tara Cemetery here.