Sergeant Claud Charles Castleton

Service number	1352
Ranks Held	Private, Sergeant
Birth Date	1893-04-12
Birth Place	United Kingdom: England, Suffolk, Kirkley
Death Date	1916-07-29
Death Place	France
Final Rank	Sergeant
Service	Australian Imperial Force
Units	2nd Australian Machine Gun Battalion 5th Australian Machine Gun Company
Places	Victoria France Tasmania Kirkley
Conflict/Operation	First World War, 1914-1918
Gazettes	Biographical information They dared mightily. in 1963 Published in London Gazette in 1916-09-26 Published in Commonwealth Gazette in 1916-12-14

Description

Born in England, Claud Castleton (1893-1916) arrived in Melbourne in 1912 seeking travel and adventure. For three years he toured Tasmania, the eastern states, and Papua. He was in Port Moresby when the First World War began, but in March 1915 returned to Sydney to enlist. He served on Gallipoli with the 18th Battalion and in March 1916 transferred to the 5th Machine Gun Company.

Castleton was killed at Pozières on 29 July 1916 during an action for which he was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross. During a night attack on enemy trenches, the infantry was driven back and then held down by intense enemy machine-gun fire. Many wounded men were left lying in no man's land, and on two occasions Castleton went out in the face of enemy fire to bring in wounded men on his back. When he went out a third time, he was himself hit in the back and instantly killed. His body was later recovered and is buried in the main British war cemetery at Pozières.

Collection items

Rolls

Roll of Honour:

Unit

5th Australian Machine Gun Company

Conflict

First World War, 1914-1918

Rank

Sergeant
First World War Embarkation Roll:

Conflict

First World War, 1914-1918

Rank

Private
Australian Red Cross Wounded and Missing Files:

Unit

5th Australian Machine Gun Company

Conflict

First World War, 1914-1918

Rank

Sergeant
First World War Nominal Roll:

Unit

2nd Australian Machine Gun Battalion

Conflict

First World War, 1914-1918

Rank

Sergeant
Honours and Awards:

Unit

5th Australian Machine Gun Company

Conflict

First World War, 1914-1918

Rank

Sergeant

London Gazette

26 September 1916 on page 9418 at position 1

Commonwealth Gazette

14 December 1916 on page 3385 at position 1
Honours and Awards (Recommendation):

Unit

5th Australian Machine Gun Company

Conflict

First World War, 1914-1918

Rank

Sergeant

Timeline

Date of birth	12 April 1893
Date of birth	12 April 1893
Other	1912	Migrated to Australia.
Other	1914	He was in Port Moresby when the war broke out and immediately offered his services. He was placed in charge of some native troops for coastal defence duties. Later working at the radio station.
Date and unit at enlistment (ORs)	10 March 1915	18 Battalion.
Date of enlistment	10 March 1915
Date of embarkation	25 June 1915	Embarked for Egypt.
Date promoted	1915-12	Appointed Corporal.
Date promoted	20 February 1916	Appointed Temporary Sergeant.
Other units	08 March 1916	5 Machine Gun Company.
Date promoted	16 March 1916	Confirmed as Sergeant.
Date of honour or award	28 July 1916	Awarded Victoria Cross for action at Pozieres, France whilst serving with 5 Machine Gun Company, 5 Brigade, 2 Division as a Sergeant
Date of death	29 July 1916
Date of death	29 July 1916
Date of fate	29 July 1916
Date of recommendation honour or award	25 August 1916