Charles Reginald Miles Cox

Story:
Charles Reginald Miles Cox was born in Box Hill, Victoria, Australia, on 4 Nov 1888 the son of Charles Albert Cox (formerly of Mere, Wiltshire) and Mary Jane Cox (nee Miles) (formerly of Compton Abbas, Shaftesbury, Dorset.  Charles's parents had married at Compton Abbas on 10 Feb 1886 and shortly thereafter emigrated to Box Hill, Victoria, Australia.  Arthur Roy Cox, Charles's brother, had also served in the conflict.  Charles and his brother had returned to the UK for part of their education at Shaftesbury Grammar School, Shaftesbury, Dorset.  Charles had left school in 1904 and returned eventually to Australia in December 1913.  Having had some previous Territorial Military Service, Charles had enlisted with the Australian Infantry Force and joined the 14th Battalion as a 2nd Lieutenant rising eventually in the ranks to Major.  He served at Gallipoli, Turkey, where he was wounded and later moved to France and Flanders where again he received gun shot wounds as well as being badly gassed.  At one time it was reported he was extremely ill as a result of his wounds and there were doubts as to his recovery.  Recover he did and was given command of his Unit but this was eventually brought short due to his health and he was repatriated back to Australia in March 1918 described as 'war worn'.  He was finally discharged 31 Jan 1919 and awarded the Victory and British War Medals as well as the 1914/15 Star.   He married Mary Gladys Gellion in Victoria, Australia, in 1919.  He obtained a position in Denison, Tasmania, in Government employment.  At the outbreak of WW2 he had applied to joined the Indian Army but this was refused on health grounds and he continued in his employment.  His rank at the time was shown as Lt. Colonel.  He died in Tasmania on 24 June 1956.