| Regimental number | 2884 |
| Place of birth | Bridgewater, Victoria |
| Religion | Methodist |
| Occupation | Carpenter |
| Address | 116 Mansfield Street, Northcote, Victoria |
| Marital status | Single |
| Age at embarkation | 19 |
| Height | 5' 4.5" |
| Weight | 130 lbs |
| Next of kin | Father, W G Polglase, 116 Mansfield Street, Northcote, Victoria |
| Previous military service | Served for 3 years in the 55th Bn, Citizen Military Forces; still serving at time of AIF enlistment. |
| Enlistment date | |
| Date of enlistment from Nominal Roll | |
| Place of enlistment | Melbourne, Victoria |
| Rank on enlistment | Private |
| Unit name | 5th Battalion, 9th Reinforcement |
| AWM Embarkation Roll number | 23/22/2 |
| Embarkation details | Unit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board HMAT A16 Star of Victoria on |
| Rank from Nominal Roll | Private |
| Unit from Nominal Roll | 58th Battalion |
| Fate | Killed in Action |
| Age at death from cemetery records | 20 |
| Place of burial | No known grave |
| Commemoration details | V.C. Corner (Panel No 17), Australian Cemetery Memorial, Fromelles, France |
| Panel number, Roll of Honour, Australian War Memorial | 168 |
| Miscellaneous information from cemetery records | Parents: William and Margaret POLGLASE, 116 Mansfield Street, Northcote, Victoria. Native of Bridgewater-on-Loddon, Victoria |
| Other details |
War service: Egypt, Western Front Taken on strength, 5th Bn, Tel el Kebir, 7 January 1916. Transferred to and taken on strength of 57th Bn, 17 February 1916. Transferred to and taken on strength of 15th Machine Gun Company, Tel el Kebir, 9 March 1916. Transferred to 57th Bn, 13 March 1916. Transferred to 59th Bn, 15 March 1916. Found guilty, 6 June 1916, of disobedience of orders, viz. eating iron rations: awarded 3 hours' pack drill. Embarked Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force, 18 June 1916; disembarked Marseilles, France, 29 June 1916. Posted missing, 19 July 1916. Court of Enquiry, held in the field, 29 August 1917, pronounced fate as 'Killed in Action, 19 July 1916'. Handwritten note on Form B103: 'Presumed Buried In No Man's Land approx 5J90 43 to 5K02.5.1 Sheet Hazebrouck 5A'. Statement, Red Cross File No 2170702, 664 J. BLAIR, 59th Bn (patient, 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital, Harefield, England), 3 January 1917: 'At Fleurbaix he was killed by a shell on 19th. July. He was out in No Man's Land, I was not far away from him at the time.' Second statement, 2790 Pte L. BRETHERTON, A Company, 59th Bn, 21 September 1916: 'I did not see him during the charge at Fleurbaix on July 19th, but Pte "Snowy" Haynes, L.M.G.S. who was with him on the same gun, said he heard the gun firing and a shell burst near it. He couldn't see anything of him afterwards and concluded he was blown to pieces.' Third statement, 3618 Pte J. FISHER, A Company, 59th Bn (patient, Royal Victoria Hospital, Netley, England), 18 January 1917: 'Polglase was killed during the same attack, just over our trenches. I saw him lying dead when we retired. I think he would be brought in and buried, but I do not know for certain.' Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal |
| Sources | NAA: B2455, POLGLASE Charles Alexander
Red Cross File No 2170702 |