CARNELL Pritchard

Pritchard CARNELL

Pritchard Carnell, born on the 8th of June (1888), Brisbane, was one of 8 siblings from the Carnell family; along with William [Jnr],Stephen,and Ruth[1st marriage] . Elizabeth Pritchard, who was their mother, wedded William Carnell[Snr] in Sydney and raised the children at Mt. Pleasant [North Pine]QLD. She died after Pritchard's birth, and William Snr remarried after a couple of years to Eliza Dawson [4 more children, Montrose Norman [Norman]; Florence; Samuel James Stanley [Stanley]; and Jane.The family continued to live at Mt Pleasant until about the turn of the century, when they moved to Maleny & Obi Obi.The family lived at the junction of Baxters Creek Road and the Obi Range Road, and later Mapleton and Teutoberg [see William Carnell adopt a digger]. Pritchard had a block of land [we do not know where at this stage] and lived at Wondai for a time

Pritchard Carnell was one of many members whom were a believer of the Methodist religion. Methodists .... (add info about methodists) ....

On the day of the 28th of August (1917), at 29 years of age, Pritchard Carnell had been enlisted to join the army to fight in the world's first war (WWI). Carnell had been required to fill out numerous papers and forms including many questions such as religion, age, chest measurement and place of birth to qualify himself as a part of the WWI force, in which he was ranked a Private, with the trade/calling of a Labourer. Carnell was also a member of the 25th Battalion (Infantry), 49th Battalion, and 19 - 21 Reinforcements. At the time of his enlisting, [a month after his brother William was K.I.A.], Pritchard was the sole survivor of the marriage between William Carnell[Snr] and Elizabeth Pritchard. [Ruth died 1910. Stephen and William Snr died 1915] Pritchard was survived by his Step-mother , Eliza, and his half siblings, Norman, Florence, Stanley and Jane.

• See: Attestation Papers of Persons Enlisted For Service Abroad in the Gallery for further details *

  During the same year Carnell enlisted to be a part of the war, this time on the 16th of November, he climbed aboard the SS Carnberra Ship and sailed along side many other men and few women to Gallipoli, being a member of several battalions.

  On the 24th August the 25th battalion's brass corps letters and numerals were withdrawn and replaced with colour patches. The patch for the 25th Battalion being black over blue in the diamond shape of the 2nd Division. By early September the battalion was manning trenches at Gallipoli where the 7th Brigade had reinforced the depleted New Zealand and Australian Division. The 25th Battalion had a relatively quiet time on the peninsula as the last major allied offensive at Gallipoli had been launched, and turned back, in the previous month. The battalion evacuated the peninsular on 18 December 1915 and returned to Egypt.

After further training in Egypt, the 25th Battalion proceeded to France, being the country Pritchard Carnell was killed in (place not known). Those who continued their work landed at Marseilles on 19 March 1916, the 25th battalion was the first AIF battalion to arrive there.

The 25th Battalion was awarded the following Great War Battle Honours: Gallipoli, Somme, Pozieres, Bullecourt, Ypres, Menin Road, Polygon Wood, Poelcapple, Passchendaele, Amiens, Egypt, Albert, Mont St Quentin, Hindenburg Line, Broodseinde, Beaurevoir, France and Flanders.

War Grave Register notes: CARNELL, Pte. Pritchard, 7036. 49th Bn. Australian Inf. Killed in action 16th Aug., 1918. Age 30. Son of William and Eliza Carnell (stepmother), of Obi Obi Rd., Mapleton, Queensland. VI.

Prithcard was survived by his Step-mother , Eliza, and his half siblings, Norman, Florence, Stanley and Jane

Beacon Cemetery, Sailly-Laurette, France, VI.G.3

Witta and District Roll of Honor, Maleny R.S.L. Memorial Hall, Bunya Street, Maleny

Nambour (Maroochy Shire) Roll of Honor Scroll, Private Collection, Nambour (this scroll was available for sale to the public after the war)

Digger's Photos courtesy of the Carnell Family.

Headstone photos taken by C Fletcher, 25 July 2012 on behalf of Adopt a Digger.