Charles Henry Zilles declared himself to be 18 years of age, a bricklayer’s labourer from Talbot Street when, with the consent of his mother Hannah, he enlisted at Ballarat on July 16th 1917. He trained at Broadmeadows and joined the 21st Battalion. He embarked from Melbourne on November 21st aboard the Nestor and disembarked at Suez on December 15th. He went on to serve through the final year of the war in France with the 21st then the 5th Battalion and avoided illness or injury. He returned to Australia on the Chemnitz, disembarking at Melbourne on September 5th 1919. He died in July 1978 aged 77.
His brothers Conrad and George also served in the AIF and are honoured with trees in the Avenue.