Stubbs, Charles Wesley (2063)
Place of Birth: Port Melbourne, VIC
Age: 19 years 3 months
Enlistment Details: Saturday, 19 June 1915 – Melbourne, VIC
Service Number: 2063 view online service record
Address:
43 Swallow Street
Port Melbourne, VIC
Next of Kin:
Charles Stubbs (father)
43 Swallow Street
Port Melbourne, VIC
Embarkation Details:
Date: Monday, 6 September 1915
Ship: HMAT Ballarat A70
Port: Sydney, NSW
Unit: 2nd Field Company Engineers – 10th Reinforcements
Fate:
KIA: Thursday, 2 November 1916
Place: France
Sapper, 2 Field Company Engineers, killed in action 2 November, 1916, France, aged 21, commemorated AIF Burial Ground, Flers, Picardie, France.
Parents: Charles and Rebecca S T STUBBS, born Port Melbourne, educated SS Port Melbourne, Wesley College (electrical engineer). He enlisted as a 19-year-old electrical engineer with his father as next of kin, Swallow Street. The given names are shown in places as Wesley Charles, but the circular returned from Hawthorn confirms Charles Wesley STUBBS. Only son, four sisters, noted as paying the supreme sacrifice at the unveiling of a third panel of the Honour Board at the Graham Street Methodist Church, Standard, 23 March, 1918.
Additional research by Brian Membrey
Wesley Stubbs and Albert Bellion were presented with watches at a send-off at Graham Street Methodist Church on 24 July 1915.
1915 ‘Watches for Soldiers.’, Port Melbourne Standard (Vic. : 1914 – 1920), 7 August, p. 2, viewed 30 July, 2015, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article91165290
1915 ‘INTERCESSORY SERVICES.’, Port Melbourne Standard (Vic. : 1914 – 1920), 6 November, p. 3, viewed 12 October, 2015, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article91168162
1916 ‘GRAHAM-STREET METHODIST CHURCH.’, Port Melbourne Standard (Vic. : 1914 – 1920), 19 February, p. 1, viewed 30 January, 2016, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article91163982
1916 ‘KILLED IN ACTION.’, Port Melbourne Standard (Vic. : 1914 – 1920), 9 December, p. 3. , viewed 24 Nov 2016, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article91168225
1916 ‘LATE WESLEY STUBBS.’, Port Melbourne Standard (Vic. : 1914 – 1920), 23 December, p. 2. , viewed 24 Nov 2016, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article91167681
1 Comments
Brian Membrey
I was in the same communication trench to the left of Guardencourt when both were hit by the same shell, Stubbs was killed instantaneously – Freeman had both his legs practically off. I was him taken to a Dressing Station … but know he had a grave because I saw his cross, He was the well-known South Melbourne footballer. I also saw the cross for Stubbs’ grave. Others were killed by the same shell” (Cpl. A. Williams, 1965, 2nd Engineers)
“Freeman” was 2477, Jack Freeman who played 22 games and kicked 39 goals in the 1913-14 seasons and leading the club’s goal kicking in the latter year before enlisting. He died in the 7th Ambulance Train on 15 November, 1916 after his right leg and left foot had been amputated.