Local Heroes: Charles Cross
No ordinary ministry
By David Woodbury
When it came to developing resources for the mission of The Salvation Army, none was more pivotal in the history of the Army in the Western South Pacific than Charles Cross.
Charles Cross’s service, which included ministry as a corps officer, Red Shield Representative and fundraiser, spanned 38 years in the Australia Eastern Territory. There is no doubt he would have been a successful businessman. Yet he forsook commercial gain to devote his life to something far greater: to be used by God to inspire, to comfort, and to lend a hand to those in need.
Born to officer parents, Charles and Grace Cross in Nanango, Queensland, on 29 June 1912, Charles’ early life of continual relocation was that shared by many children of Salvation Army officers. He was sworn-in as a senior soldier on 5 July 1928 in Wagga Wagga, NSW, and much of his early working life was spent as an apprentice bootmaker with Cyril G. Palmer in Campsie, Sydney. At the conclusion of his apprenticeship, Charles held several jobs during the depression years as well as undertaking part-time compulsory military service. During this period of his life, Charles turned aside from his Christian upbringing, even though he played in several Salvation Army bands around Sydney.
During Easter 1937, Charles attended the Easter Tent Campaign held by The Salvation Army in Prince Alfred Park, Sydney. This was to be a significant turning point in his life. It was here that he once again heard the voice of God and re-committed himself to Christ. He began attending Bankstown Corps in Sydney and on 9 January 1939 entered the officer training college in Sydney. Here he met Cadet Dora Westwood, who was to become his lifelong partner.
Following commissioning in January 1940, Charles was appointed briefly to Young Corps in central-west NSW before being appointed to the Bathurst Military Camp on 3 October 1940 as a Salvation Army Red Shield Representative to the Australian Imperial Force. During this time he and Dora became engaged.
On 1 September 1941, Charles embarked for the Middle East with the 18th Brigade of the 6th Division AIF, serving in Palestine and Syria. In January 1942, Charles returned to Australia after suffering a bout of malaria. In a stopover in Colombo where the heat was excessive, Charles decided to go shirtless and had a large Salvation Army crest tattooed on his chest. On his return to Australia and with an advance of 20 pounds in his pocket, Charles headed for Tenterfield in northern NSW and on 16 May 1942 married Dora.
Charles later provided ministry to soldiers in such theatres of war as Borneo and New Guinea, as well as holding appointments to military camps in Australia. Like many Salvation Army officers and Red Shield representatives, Charles’ main concern was the welfare of the men and he did all within his power to encourage and cheer them. Established 50 yards from the initial landing beach on Labuan Island, six miles west of Borneo, the Red Shield centre was fittingly named “Charlie’s Cheer-up Corner”. This is how it got its name. The colonel in charge of the area, a frequent visitor to the centre, suggested that a name be given to the set-up and, knowing the welfare officer, who had served with the colonel’s unit in the Middle East and New Guinea, and that his name was Charlie Cross, he designated it “Charlie’s Cheer-up Corner”. This title became a real password between officers and men. Miles away from this point, appointments were made, “See you at Charlie’s Cheer-up Corner”.
The Cross family welcomed their first child, Dawn Joy, on Anzac Day, 1943. In December 1945, Charles returned to Australia and completed his service with the military on 22 January 1946, having spent five and half years caring for the spiritual and temporal needs of servicemen. Charles and Dora were subsequently appointed to Grafton in northern NSW on 7 February 1946, where their second daughter, Robyn Kaye, was born. Appointments to Marrickville and Manly in Sydney followed. While at Manly, John Charles Albert was born on 23 April 1950 and Denise Annette on 10 January 1952.
At Manly, Charles developed skills as a ventriloquist with a doll he called Captain Sunshine. On a Sunday afternoon children would flock to Manly Beach’s Esplanade to hear the gospel through Captain Sunshine. On 22 February 1956, Charles left Australia to attend the International College for Officers in London, returning home in time for the birth of his fifth child, Warren Bramwell, on 9 May 1956. Appointments followed to some of the larger Salvation Army Corps (churches) in the Australia Eastern Territory, including Hurstville, Sydney Congress Hall and Brisbane City Temple.
Along with Major Donald Campbell from the Australia Southern Territory, Charles left Australia on 15 January 1963 to study fund-raising developments in Canada and the United States. This resulted in major fund-raising advances for The Salvation Army in Australia and New Zealand and led to the establishment of Salvation Army advisory and co-ordination boards as well as the formation of what is now known as The Red Shield Appeal. In 1964, the first Red Shield Appeal Doorknock was held in the Campsie area of Sydney and by 1965 across the whole Australia Eastern Territory. Internal fundraising also benefited from this overseas study tour when the first planned-giving program was conducted at Hurstville Corps in 1965.
In 1966, Charles was appointed divisional commander North Queensland, an appointment he was unable to take up due to the discovery of a tumor in his throat. Although surgery was successful, the serious nature of the disease stopped his public speaking. After a period as Assistant Public Relations Secretary, Charles was appointed as Chief Commissioner of Red Shield War Services with the status of a military colonel on 19 July 1968. During this term Charles visited Singapore and Vietnam to assess the morale of Australian troops at the request of the Australian government.
Charles was given the additional appointment of Territorial Director of Emergency Services in January 1970. This role saw him involved in assisting survivors of the Darwin cyclone disaster, the feeding, clothing and care of 200 Vietnamese orphans who were brought to Australia and the counselling and relief of bereaved families from the Granville train disaster. Charles was also responsible for the construction of a custom-built mobile canteen that served the Army in Sydney for many years.
On 11 June 1977, Charles was awarded the Order of the British Empire (Civil Division) in the Queen’s Silver Jubilee honours for Military Service and Leadership in Community Service Work. Charles and Dora Cross retired on 1 July 1977 having completed 38 years of active service, 20 years of which Charles had been with involved with the Australian military forces.
After a short period at Menai in Sydney’s south-west, Charles and Dora moved to Tinonee, a small village outside of Taree on the mid-
north coast of NSW. Here Charles pursued his love of animals and farming, breeding Jersey cows, Cashmere goats, poultry and a variety of caged birds. Dora was promoted to glory at Tinonee on 7 September 1988.
Charles continued to live by himself at Tinonee until his promotion to glory on 7 December 2004 at 92 years of age. The life and ministry of Charles Bramwell Cross was one which touched many lives during an extraordinary and varied service. His son Warren said of him: He could relate to all people, no matter where they had been or where they were going. He was equally at home in the boardrooms of corporate Australia as he was with a digger down on his luck. Each was as deserving of his attention and compassion.
* Article first appeared in The Salvation Army’s Hallelujah magazine. Copies available for purchase at Salvationist Supplies - thetrade.salvos.org.au