Claud Castleton

Claud Castleton was born in Kirkley, Lowestoft, England. Educated at a council school, he won a scholarship to the grammar school. In 1912 he set off on a long adventure, stopping first at Melbourne, Australia. He worked in various parts of Australia before heading to New Guinea, intending to earn funds for the return journey to England via New Zealand, India and Africa. Matters changed with the outbreak of the First World War; he joined the Australian force formed in New Guinea for the defence of the area in the face of German warship activities.

In March 1915 Castleton returned to Sydney and enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force. He subsequently served at Gallipoli, where he earned promotion. He later transferred to the Australian Machine Gun Corps. He was 23 years old, and a sergeant in the 5th Machine Gun Company, 5th Brigade, 2nd Division when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.Wigmore 1986, p. 48.

{{quote|On the night of the 28/29 July 1916 near Pozières, France, during a night attack the infantry was temporarily driven back by the intense machine-gun fire from the enemy trenches. Many wounded were left in "No Man's Land" lying in shell holes. Sergeant Castleton went out twice in the face of this intense fire, and each time brought in a wounded man on his back. He went out a third time and was bringing in another wounded man when he was himself hit in the back and killed instantly.{{London Gazette |issue=29765|date=22 June 1915 |page=9418|supp=y }}}}

Castleton is buried at Pozières British Military Cemetery, Somme, France, 3 miles NE of Albert (Plot IV, Row L, Grave 43).{{CWGC|id=588626|name=Castleton, Claud Charles|access-date=7 February 2018}} The inscription on his gravestone reads: A NOBLE LIFE LAID DOWN FOR FREEDOM WE SHALL MEET OUR LOVED ONE AGAIN.

Castleton's Victoria Cross is displayed at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. Castleton Crescent in the Canberra suburb of Gowrie was named in his honour.[http://www.actpla.act.gov.au/tools_resources/maps_land_survey/place_names/place_search?sq_content_src=%2BdXJsPWh0dHAlM0ElMkYlMkZ3d3cuYWN0bWFwaS5hY3QuZ292LmF1JTJGUGxhY2VOYW1lcyUyRlBsYWNlRGV0YWlscy5hc3B4JTNGb2JqZWN0SUQlM0Q2NDg2JmFsbD0x Castleton Crescent], ACT placenames, www.actpla.act.gov.au There is a brass plaque to him at the former South Cliff Congregational Church, now St Nicholas's Catholic Church, in south Lowestoft.[http://www.suffolkchurches.co.uk/pakefieldrc.html] Suffolk Churches site

{{Reflist|30em}}

• {{cite book|last=Wigmore|first=Lionel|year=1986|title=They Dared Mightily|edition=Second|publisher=Australian War Memorial|location=Canberra |isbn=0-642-99471-4}}

• In Search of Claud, Steve Snelling, Eastern Daily Press, Saturday, 1 July 2006. Sunday supplement p10–11.

• J. K. Haken, [http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A070596b.htm 'Castleton, Claud Charles (1893–1916)'], Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 7, Melbourne University Press, 1979, p. 589.
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20080719133520/http://www.aif.adfa.edu.au:8080/showPerson?key=CASTLETON%2FCC%2F1352 Claude Charles CASTLETON], The AIF Project, www.aif.adfa.edu.au
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20120806094842/http://cas.awm.gov.au/heraldry/REL/18262 Victoria Cross : Sergeant Claud Charles Castleton], AWM Collection Record: REL/18262
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20090929232805/http://www.anzacday.org.au/education/medals/vc/details/castleton.html Sergeant Claud Charles Castleton], www.anzacday.org.au
• {{cite web|url=http://discoveringanzacs.naa.gov.au/browse/person/33246 |title=Claud Charles Castleton – Discovering Anzacs |publisher=National Archives of Australia}}

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Category:1893 births

Category:1916 deaths

Category:Military personnel from Suffolk

Category:Australian Battle of the Somme recipients of the Victoria Cross

Category:Australian Army soldiers

Category:People from Lowestoft

Category:Australian military personnel killed in World War I