Rank: Private
Regimental Number: 5672
Place of Birth: Ascotvalle, Victoria
Address c/o P Dennis, Bellevue Street, East Fremantle, Western Australia
Next of Kin: Mother, Mrs E Cameron
Enlistment Date: 13 March 1916
Unit Name: 11th Battalion, 18th Reinforcement
Age embarkation: 34
Marital Status: Single
Occupation: Bookmakers clerk
Date of Death: -
Place of Burial: -
Links:
History
15/4/17 Cameron was captured by the Germans at Boursies and eventually sent to Germany as a prisoner. This was his statement.
STATEMENT MADE BY REPARATED PRISONER OF WAR.
On the night of the 14.4.17 Lieutenant Stuart, my platoon commander, took the platoon to a position supposed to be 500 yards in advance of our front line. We went through wire over a sunken road & dug in. The night was very dark & wet. A patrol was sent to find “C” Coy which was supposed to be on our right. We did not find them, but found “B” Coy who were on our right flank & in rear, i.e. on the English side of the wire. Captain O’Neil OC “D” Coy, whom we met when returning from patrol, told us that we were too far out, but it was too late to come in & that he did not expect anything to happen. Before daylight the Germans attacked strongly. We were in 3 posts of 10, 7 & 10 men. After about 2 hours we ran out of ammunition & the Germans dug in round us in daylight. Eight men including Keough, Farmery, Smith were killed, also Glasson, I think. Farmer & McKay were wounded.
At about 5 or 6 pm we were forced to surrender, 1 officer and 18 others. We were taken for several Kilos behind the lines, then to a church at St Quentin for 1 night then to Douai & Lille (Fort Macdonald) for 4 or 5 days with poor food. I worked behind the lines under shell fire for 2 months then went to Templeuve for 2½ months to a lazaret with pneumonia & while there developed smallpox. I was at St Amand for 2 months. In December 1917, I was moved to Fredericks field for a few days then to Jastrowie for 4 or 5 days then to Birkenmoor on railroad building.
On the Armistice being signed I went to Jastrowie and from there to Warnemunde. I embarked on SS “Ambria” for Denmark leaving Copenhagen on 26.12.18 on SS “Frederick 8th” for Hull, arriving there on 30.12.18
My treatment generally was bad in France and fair in Germany.
Red Cross parcels reached me 8 months after capture and then came regularly.
Signature 5672. Pte. C. Cameron
