STORRER, Charles Murray (1894-1915)Charles Murray Storrer was born 10 November 1894, the son of Henry James Henderson Storrer and Margaret Turnbull nee Haigh, of Bonnie Brae, McKillop Street, Geelong. He was a day student at Geelong College, enrolling in 1907 and continuing until 1910. After leaving College he began working as a clerk for Dalgety & Company, Geelong.
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C M Storrer (War Service).
He was always interested in military work, and joined the Light Horse immediately on the outbreak of war, having served three years in the Mounted Cadets and two years in the Cavalry. He rowed in the winning crew in the Inter-Regimental Eights in Melbourne, and again in Egypt, along with Ralph Barnfather, Geoff Mitchell and Bill Dunlop. He embarked on HMAT Wiltshire on 18 October 1914 for Egypt and then Gallipoli, where he died of wounds on 5 June 1915.
Pegasus of August 1915 reported the circumstances of his death:
‘We hear that he was killed while sitting at breakfast in a dugout. A fragment of shrapnel struck him, and though he lived for some hours afterwards, he never regained consciousness.’ Neil Smith confirmed this in his book,
Men of Beersheba:
‘On 1st June 1915 C Squadron was attached to the 4th Battalion and four days later supported an attack on German Officer’s Trench at which time the Regiment incurred further battle casualties. These included Pte William McGregor from Mitiamo and Pte Arthur Paulet from Traralgon who were both killed in action and Sergeant Murray Storrer, a 20 year old wool clerk from Geelong, who died of wounds. On this occasion the Turks poured shrapnel into the trenches for over three hours from 5.00 am. McGregor was observing at the time while sitting on the side of a dugout when a shell came through the bags on the parapet and blew the top of his head off. McGregor had not moved and still held his rifle firmly between his legs. Storrer too was hit in the head and lingered two hours before passing away. Next was Charlie Phillips who was just a few yards away from Storrer and having his breakfast, he too was hit in the stomach with a piece of shrapnel which came out near his spine causing him dreadful pain. Phillips gave up his struggle for life almost two weeks later’ Murray Storrer (180), sergeant of 4th Australian Light Horse was buried in Beach Cemetery, Anzac - Grave I.J.25, his epitaph reads simply
‘Beloved Son of Mr. & Mrs. H J H Storrer, of Geelong, Victoria.’ The AWM Collection includes a photograph of Beach Cemetery (at the southern headland of Anzac Cove), and the grave of Sergeantt C M Storrer, 4th Australian Light Horse, of Geelong.
Murray’s brother, Captain Henry Haigh Storrer (of Geelong), of 3 Squadron, AFC, was killed in France on 2 December 1917, when his plane crashed into the brick wall of the Bailleul cemetery in a sudden squall, as he took off on an artillery patrol. He was buried in Bailleul Communal Cemetery Extension, France - Grave III.F.46.
One brother, Campbell Gillespie Storrer (1907-1978) attended Geelong College.
Murray’s cousin Sergeant Robert Edward Reeves (of Geelong), 59 Battalion, was killed at Fleurbaix on 19 July 1916, he has no known grave, his name is commemorated on a Special Memorial at VC Corner Australian Cemetery, France.
Sources: Based on an edited extract from Geelong Collegians at the Great War compiled by James Affleck. pp 115-116 (citing Commonwealth War Graves Commission; Neil Smith, Men of Beersheba: A History of the 4th Light Horse Regiment 1914-1919; Photo Pegasus August, 1915; AWM J00258.)