Capt. Charles Augustus Littler, DSO DCM

• In 1910, Littler became manager of a rubber and coconut company on the island of Mindanao. Due to financial problems, he returned to Tasmania in 1914 and joined the Australian Imperial Force on 16 December. On 2 February 1915 he embarked for Egypt with 2/12th Battalion.

Charles Augustus Littler, 12th Battalion, of Launceston, Tas. Lt Littler enlisted on 25 November 1914 and embarked from Melbourne aboard HMAT Clan McGillivray on 2 February 1915. Lt Littler served at Gallipoli and was promoted to captain on 22 May 1915. After he returned to Egypt he served for a short time as the Assistant Provost Marshall. He was transferred to 52nd Battalion on 4 March 1916. He sailed with the 52nd Battalion from Alexandria on board the transport Ivernia on 5 June 1916. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) for distinguished service in the field in June 1916. He was killed in action in France on 3 September 1916.

LITTLER, CHARLES AUGUSTUS

• Rank: Captain
• Date of Death: 03/09/1916
• Regiment/Service: Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 52nd Bn.
• Awards: D S O Panel Reference:
• Memorial: VILLERS-BRETONNEUX MEMORIAL
• Additional Information: Son of Augustus Littler and his wife Hannah Murray; husband of Helen C. Littler, of "Silwood", Devonport, Tasmania. Born at Launceston, Tasmania.

Links:

• Commonwealth War Graves Commission Record
• Australian War Memorial Profile

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• Reference: MyHeritage Family Trees - SmartCopy: Jan 28 2017, 23:49:24 UTC
• Military service: Captain, 52nd Battalion AIF - 1916 - France
  • Reference: FamilySearch Family Tree - SmartCopy: Feb 11 2017, 22:25:06 UTC

Memorial plan for Tasmania's 'Duke of Anzac' By Emily Bryan Updated 24 Apr 2014, 11:29am A memorial and biography is being planned to honour the life of a Tasmanian soldier who is regarded as the "Duke of Anzac."

Charles Littler earned the nickname because of his role as a Gallipoli beach master. For a century his story has been largely confined to family archives, but there are plans to build a permanent home-town memorial in Devonport. The Devonport RSL's Grant Munday says Littler played a significant role in the war. "He was the first person on the beach on the landing at Gallipoli and, as far as we can see, he was the last person to leave the beach," he said. The stevedore fought at ANZAC Cove with his son Geoffrey. His grandson Jock keeps a copy of a diary detailing the evacuation in 1915. "My father was getting in line and my grandfather saw him and put his hand on his soldier and said, 'You made it, son'." The two parted when Geoffrey Littler was badly wounded on the Somme. "My grandfather heard about his wounding and he applied for a leave to go and visit him, but then they called for a charge, and away he went, and he was killed." His cousin Harry Murray was the British Empire's most decorated soldier during the war. Mr Munday is working with Littler's descendents to develop a permanent memorial. "We have asked for government funding as well, but that's had a change with the election...it's moving ahead and hopefully we'll see something for next year." Hobart researcher Andrea Gerrard is working on a Littler biography and two other north-west Tasmanians with remarkably similar stories. "Whether or not they actually knew each other I'm not sure, I wouldn't like to say," she said. "I just think that we need to sort of say we lost a lot of these men who had the potential to make a big contribution to the state in a variety of fields." Instead, it is their service to the nation that will be remembered.