What spurred him to enlist for service abroad in the Australian Imperial Force is not known but no doubt like his many other Australians he wanted to “do his bit” to help the old country.  What ever the reason, the fact is he took the oath to serve in the AIF on the 6th of August 1916 and a fortnight later became number 2875 Private C. B. Badnall. Following a period of basic training and after receiving dental treatment and being vaccinated and appropriately inoculated, he and his comrades embarked in the “Argyllshire” from Freemantle for England on the 9th November 1916. 

 "Private Badnall" and "Private Howard", another employee of the Woodline, were given a good send off by their employer, friends and neighbours, which took the form of a social and dance at the Miners' Institute.  As the Western Argus reported the following day, "Special trains by direction of the manager. Mr. A. McFarlane, were run from each end of the line, and conveyed a large number of visitors to Bulong". Later the Woodline manager, Mr McFarlane, presented a purse of gold and a wrist watch to Private Badnall  and a purse of gold and a "soldier's outfit," to Private Howard  and said that he was losing the services of a valuable assistant. He also promised hold the positions of both men open for them. Private Howard also received a wrist watch, presented by the secretary 'of the Woodcutters' Union, "in recognition of his services to the cause of unionism" [8].

Into battle

After disembarking in Devonport on the 10th January 1917, these “Australian reinforcements”, as Cecil and his comrades were designated, marched into the 12 Training Battalion camp at Codford the following day and spent the next three months there.  Fully trained and fully fit, they sailed for France from Folkestone on the 10th April that year. The record states that Cecil “marched in from England” to the depot at Etaples, a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department of Northern France, the following day and “out to the unit” three days later. At last he was in the war zone, on the strength of the 48 Battalion and like his comrades, a part of the 4th Australian Division's 12th Brigade[2].

Their arrival couldn’t have been more opportune. The War had settled into that phase of semi-stagnation,  with both sides launching attacks from behind their long and convoluted lines of trenches and the successes of one day being reversed the next.  The situation Cecil and the other Aussie reinforcements faced was thus one in which, after massive artillery bombardments intended to cut barbed wire and destroy enemy defences, waves of attacking allied infantry emerged from their trenches into "No Man's Land" and advanced towards enemy positions.  Protected by deep and heavily reinforced bunkers and warned well in advance by the bombardment, the surviving Germans would try to repel the attackers with machine-gun fire and artillery support from the rear. Often, these attacks gained only a limited amount of territory and were usually followed by German counter-attacks with the result that both sides sustained heavy losses while remaining more or less in the same relative positions.[9]

On the 11th of April 1917, as Cecil and the rest of the 7th reinforcement of the 48th Battalion arrived in France, the 4th Division, consisting of the 4th and 12th Brigades, assaulted the Hindenburg Line in the First Battle of Bullecourt. The battle was a disaster, with over 3,000 casualties and 1,170 taken prisoner by the Germans. For Cecil and the other AIF reinforcements the long 8 months delay between enlistment and action was abruptly ended for on the day they were taken on to the Division’s strength, “the 1st and 2nd Divisions were struck by a German counter attack at dawn near the town of Lagnicourt, by a force of up to twenty three battalions as the Germans attempted to take advantage of the weakness that had developed in the Allied line following the British offensive at Arras.  The Australians were initially forced to abandon the town to the Germans and in the process several artillery batteries were lost, however, at seven o'clock a successful counter attack was launched by four Australian battalions, resulting in the town being recaptured and the guns reclaimed" [10] 

[More about the Australian Forces at Bullecourt?]

What actions Cecil was involved in and exactly how he died is unknown but in May and early  June, the Division had been involved in preparations for the Battle of Messines, which was launched on 7th June 1917, following 4 days of bombardment of the enemy positions and a final, massive, explosion of mines.  The latter ripped the German lines open, knocked British observers, 400 metres away, off their feet and is said to have been heard in Downing Street, London.   Was Cecil one of those 10000 troops quietly waiting in Allied trenches for the signal to go over the top or were his skills as a loco driver/platelayer being used in connection with the mining of German positions?  Who knows? One fact is clear, he was “killed in action” on the 2nd June 1917 and his remains are now buried in La Plus Douve Farm Cemetery WSW of Messines.   A cable to England on the 26th confirmed his death and steps were taken to inform his mother.

Aftermath

On Tuesday 7th August 1917 one more brief announcement was added to the many columns of Australians who'd given their lives far from home fighting alongside the "old country". Inserted by his Kurramia mates, it simply said "BADNALL-In respectful memory of Cecil B. (Charlie) who was killed in action in France, on June 2nd  1917".  "Charlie" continued to remembered "In Memoriam" by relatives and others who'd shared his friendship and love [11].

Though not a wealthy man "Charlie" had made a will in which he nominated his cousin, Robert William Dalby of the School House, Broad Arrow (now a ghost town) 38 km north of Kalgoorlie, as his next of kin.[12]  Probate was granted to Robert  in March 1918 [13] making it his task to dealing with army bureaucracy and ensure that "Charlie's" war medals, plaque, scroll, etc got to "Charlie's" mother.  He also had to deal with the few personal possessions his cousin had left behind and were eventually found safely stored in “Ulysses", the AIF Kit Store in England, i.e.

 “Disc, 2 wallets, 2 notebooks, French book, 3 handkerchiefs, 
2 match boxes, buttons, metal ring, cards, photos, letter.” 

Despite further searching, no trace was found of either "Charlie's" “Sandhurst Kit” or his “gift wristlet watch”.  With letters going to and fro between Robert in Australia and various army units in England and Australia and the preparation and issuing of medals, photos etc,  it was not until late 1922 that Robert and the various Army officers he was in contact with finally completed the process that began when "Private Badnall" died.  By that time "Charlie's" mother had received not only notification of her son’s death and burial but also  “circular BRM 46/1368” and "a booklet on graves”, a pamphlet  “Where Australians Rest”, a memorial plaque and a scroll but also photographs of the grave. What she made of all this and how the news of her son's death affected her is sadly not known.

Charlie's cousin Robert and his family continued to place their tributes to his memory in the In Memoriam column of the Western Argus until Robert and his wife's deaths.

In loving memory of Private C. B. Badnall of Kurramia, killed in action 

somewhere in France, 2nd June 1917

“He fought bravely and fell when duty called”