Carter Brothers of Bunyip

The Age August 4, 1915

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article154996454

In this post, in our series of Brother who enlisted, we are looking at the Carter Brothers of Bunyip. You can read about the Cullen Brothers of Cockatoo here and the Maher Brothers of Pakenham, here.

William, Alfred and Frederick were the sons of William and Annie Carter (nee Saunders)  of Maidstone House in Bunyip. The Brothers came from Maidstone in  Kent in England, hence the name of their property in Bunyip. William had already died when the brothers enlisted as their next of kin was their mother. Annie died in 1924 aged 61 in Carlton. I believe there were at least two other children, George who died in 1962 aged 60 and the grandly named Victoria Georgina Augusta who was only 22 when she died in 1919 in South Melbourne.

Bunyip Free Press September 9 1915

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article129630845

Carter, Alfred Nathaniel (SN 2467)  Alfred enlisted on July 20 1915 at the age of 26. He was Driver. Alfred sustained  a Gun Shot  Wound to his right arm, which made him permanently unfit for service and thus he Returned to Australia  December 20, 1917 and was Discharged in July 1918. Alfred died on May 14, 1921 at the age of 32 and is buried in the Bunyip Cemetery.

Carter, Frederick Arthur (SN 1397)  Frederick, who was a baker,  enlisted at the age of 20 on July 28 1915. He did his training, was sent overseas to Egypt  and Returned to Australia on May 21, 1916 for discharge due to 'defective vision in right eye'  In the 1919 Electoral Roll, Frederick is living in Carlton, but not sure of what happened to him after that.

Carter, William (SN 2266) William enlisted on July 17 1915  - he was a 28 year old Labourer. William Died of Wounds received while fighting in France on August 6, 1916. William is listed on the Bunyip War Memorial.

The Cullen boys of Cockatoo Creek

This is another post on brothers who enlisted, in the last post we looked at the Maher Brothers of Pakenham and we have also looked at the Carter Brothers of Bunyip, here, and in this post we will look at the four Cullen Brothers of Cockatoo Creek, as the town of Cockatoo used to be called. Interestingly, one of the enlistment papers has the address as Cockatoo Creek, Gembrook line, obviously referring to the 'Puffing Billy'  Railway line. The Cullen Brothers are the sons of Francis Patrick Cullen and Mary Jane Whitehead who married in New South Wales in 1883. They had seven children (there may be more)  the first three listed were born in Sydney, Francis (born 1884) Arthur Byrne (1886), Frederick (1888), Kathleen Mary (1890), Emily Margaret (1891) William Beechworth (1894) and Alfred Charles (1899). Mary Jane died in 1950, aged 91 and Francis died in 1942 aged 84.

The Argus May 26, 1915

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1519741

Here are the four brothers, including their Service Number (SN) so you can look up their full service record in the National Archives of Australia, www.naa.gov.au

Cullen, Alfred Charles (SN 2629)     Alfred first enlisted on September 6, 1915 and said he was 18 years old, but this was untrue. There is  a letter in his file from his father saying that his signature must have been forged as he didn't give permission and his son was only 16 years, ten months old. So Alfred was discharged less than two months later on October 31 for 'being a minor and enlisting without parents consent', He enlisted again as Christopher Patrick Cullen on March 11, 1916 aged 18. His occupation was listed as grocer. It appears that he was  bit of  a 'lad', and was charged with Desertion in November 1917, after having been reported as missing, but found guilty of being absent without leave, sentenced to ten years gaol, which was later commuted to two years and then suspended.  Christopher Returned to Australia July 5, 1919. His real name was actually Alfred Charles Cullen and there is a note in his file saying that in 1922 he signed a Statuary Declaration saying that he wasn't really Christopher. Alfred died in 1969.

National Archives of Australia www.naa.gov.au 

First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920

Cullen, Arthur Burns   (SN 1347 or 842) Arthur seems to have two Service Numbers and  is listed as having the same Service Number as his brother Frederick. Arthur enlisted on September 21, 1914 aged 25. His occupation was labourer. Arthur Returned to Australia on  December 3, 1918.

Cullen, Frederick  (SN 1347)   Frederick enlisted on the same day as his brother, William, November 11, 1914. He was a 26 year old Saw Mill hand. He was wounded in action - bullet wound to forehead, - and Returned to Australia in September 1915, but then obviously returned to serve overseas and he was  Killed in Action in Belgium on October 19, 1917. 

The Argus November 14, 1917

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1663051

Cullen, William Beechworth (SN 1348) William enlisted on November 11, 1914 aged 21. His Occupation was sawyer. William Returned to Australia on  March 11, 1916 and discharged on medical grounds as he was suffering from nephritis (inflammation of the kidneys) William died in 1957.