Charles William Frederick Vinall (1867-1946)

1917

Wyndham City Libraries

text

eng

Charles William Frederick Vinall

7577

Miss Ruby Ellen Eliza Vinall,
Warragul, Victoria
Daughter

Jindavick, Victoria

Widow

Warragul Cemetery, Victoria

No.7577  Private Charles William Frederick Vinall
Charles William Frederick Vinall was born at Derrimut in 1867, and his birth was registered at Melton. His parents were Charles William Vinall and Ellen Searle, and they had married in Essex in 1866. * 

Children of the marriage were:

• Charles William Frederick Vinall - born 1867 at Derrimut 1867/3753
• Louisa Kezia Ann Vinall - born  1870 in Wyndham 1870/20407
• Ernest Hubert Wyndham Vinall - born 1872 in Wyndham 1872/13127
• Lilly Ellen Vinall - born 1874 in Wyndham 1874/26784
• Sidney Simon Vinall - born 1876 in Wyndham 1876/13144
• Ethel May Vinall - born 1879 in Wyndham 1879/13009
• Mabel Grace Vinall - born 1881 in Wyndham 1881/27062
• Jane Beatrice Vinall - born 1884 in Wyndham 1884/6516
• Alice Mary Vinall - born 1886 in Wyndham 1886/7075
• Daisy Victoria Adelaide Vindall - born 1888 in Werribee 1888/16522

Pre War
Charles William Frederick Vinall married Annie Forbes at Werribee on 12 May 1890. **
Their children were:

• Charles Frederick Henry Aug Vinall - born 1892 at St Kilda, 1892/8284, and
• Ruby Ellen Eliza Vinall - born 1897 at St Kilda, 1897/6738

In the Electoral Roll for 1912, Frederick William Charles Vinall and his wife Annie are recorded as farmers, living at Jindivick, near Drouin, in Victoria.

Annie Vinall (nee Forbes) died on 15 January 1917, and was buried in the Warragul Cemetery.
Find my past - Australia Billion Graves Cemetery Index.

Six months later, her husband left the farm at Jindivick, to go to war.

War Service
Charles Vinall applied to enlist in the A.I.F. at Warragul on 7 June 1917, and was accepted.  He had put his age down by six years, and claimed that he was 44, instead of 50. He then went to the Training Camp at Broadmeadows, and after completing his initial training on 14 September 1917, he was appointed to the 25th Reinforcements for the 14th Battalion.

Private Charles Vinall, embarked on 21 November 1917 at Melbourne, per HMAT Nestor A71, with the 25th Reinforcements for the 14th Battalion, and sailed to Egypt.

After a brief stay there, he embarked from the port of Alexandria per H.M.S. Sarina, and sailed to England, via Italy.

He disembarked at Southampton on 9 January 1918, and marched-in to the 12th Training Battalion at Codford, where he undertook three months of additional training.

In December 1917, The Werribee State School Honor Board was unveiled by Mr G. T. Chirnside. The names on the board were quoted in a newspaper item, and one of those was F. Vinal. 
For some unknown reason the tag with his name on it was removed from this board at a later date.
Werribee Shire Banner, 20 December 1917, p.2.

On 1 April 1918, Charles embarked at Dover and sailed to France. Then after passing through several Depots, he arrived at the 14th Battalion in the field at Sailly-aux-Bois, and he was taken on strength. They had just been relieved on the front line at Hebuterne.

At this time, the 14th Battalion had helped to stop the German Spring Offensive. They then became part of the great allied 100 Day Offensive, which began near Amiens on 8 August 1918. This marked the beginning of the end of the Great War. The Battalion was withdrawn from the front line in late September of 1918, and were resting when the Armistice was declared on 11 November 1918.

On 2 May 1919, Private Vinall was selected for return to Australia under Quota 46, and he returned to England.  After waiting for two months he departed London on 4 July 1919, per H.T. Frankfurt, to return to Australia.  Then after six weeks, he disembarked at Melbourne on 20 August 1919, and was discharged from the A.I.F.

Post War
The electoral rolls in the 1920s show that Frederick William Charles Vinall (given names reversed) had returned to Jindivick and his life there as a farmer.

By 1939 Charles William Frederick Vinall had moved. He was then recorded as a Farmer, living at 42 McIndoe Parade, Mentone.

In 1946 Charles William Frederick Vinall was a Farmer, now living at 14 Genoa Street, Mentone.

Charles William Frederick Vinall died at Warragul in Victoria in 1946. The transcription of his Death Certificate *** said that he was born in 1867 (correct year).  His father was Charles Nash Vinall, and his mother was Ellen S. Cropley. (There are some minor errors in his parent's names)

The epitaph on his grave says "In memory of my dear wife Annie Vinall. Died 15^th January 1917. Peace, perfect peace. Also. Fred, husband of above, died 20^th December 1946, aged 79 years."

Medals and Entitlements:

• British War Medal - No. 71112
• Victory Medal - No.67950

Notes
Name on the Werribee Shire Oak Board: VINALL, C.W.H.

Name "Vinal, F." was on the Werribee State School Honor Board when it was unveiled, but it was subsequently removed for some unknown reason.
Werribee Shire Banner, 20 December 1917, p.2.

The name "Vinall, C. F., of Werribee" only appeared in the final Roll of Honor, Werribee Shire Banner, 6 March 1919, p.1. (After the war had ended)

Mr H. Vinall (possibly a relative, was a road contractor in the Werribee Shire in 1916)
Werribee Shire Banner, 3 August 1916, p.3.

The Vinall's owned a yard at the top end of Watton Street, Werribee in 1913.
Werribee Shire Banner, 9 October 1913, p.3.

* Marriage – On Digger Pioneer Index 1836-1888 CD the groom's name was recorded as Charles Marsh Vinall, and not Charles William Nash, as per all the children's birth certificates.

** Date from Annie’s Death Certificate, on Find my past

*** Find my past - Record Transcription: Victoria Deaths 1836-1985

Embarkation
https://www.awm.gov.au/people/rolls/

Unit War Diary
https://www.awm.gov.au/collection

Death
ancestry.com.au

Service Record
https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/

Marriage
ancestry.com.au

Pioneer Index 1837-1888 CD
Federation Index 1889-1901 CD
Edwardian Index 1902-1913 CD
Great War Index 1914-1920 CD
Marriage Index 1921-1942 CD

British War Medal

Victory Medal