Charles Henry William Hardy was a 54 year old surgeon and physician from Sturt Street Ballarat when he joined the AIF as a Lieutenant Colonel on March 1st 1915. He had previously served as a Medical Corps Captain with the Citizen Forces. He embarked from Melbourne on June 4th aboard the Ajana, attached to the 6th Field Ambulance. He served with such distinction at Gallipoli and in France that he was awarded a Distinguished Service Order, his recommendation reading æColonel Hardy commanded a Field Ambulance at GALLIPOLI and did such excellent work there that he was appointed Assistant Director of Medical Services to this Division on its formation in EGYPT in March 1916. While the Division was being organised and trained, it was also holding some 8 miles of the SUEZ CANAL from East of ISMAILIA where Colonel Hardy coped most successfully with many sanitary difficulties and so succeeded in keeping the health of the Division extremely good. Under his training the Medical Corps of the Division became very effective and well trained. Since the Division came into the line in front of SAILLY (10th July 1916) Colonel Hardy has been indefatigable in his arrangements for sanitation, good water supply and ensuring health in the Division and constantly supervises personally in all parts of the line. During the fight before FROMELLES on 19/20th July his arrangements for wounded were so excellent that 3000 cases were collected and evacuated to Casualty Clearing Stations in 36 hours. Colonel Hardy is tireless and his unobtrusive but single minded devotion to duty has inspired the whole of his command'.

In November 1916 he was admitted to hospital at Rouen suffering from Trench Fever, then transferred to No.3 General Hospital in London suffering from influenza. In February 1917 he departed England on the Ulysses and returned to Australia where, on August 21st, his appointment was terminated due to ill health.
Tree No. 488