Military History

According to his Jesus College obituary Charles was killed by a sniper while on a reconnaissance mission on 17 Nov 1916. The war diary for the period 17th/18th November 1916 is transcribed below.

17th November: The Battalion relieved the North Lancs in the trenches

18th November: On the night of the 17^th/18^th 1 Coy joined the 8^th N Staffs to act as a clearing up party, ½ a Coy Joined 10^th R Warwicks & 1½ 8^th Glos also to act as a clearing up party in the attack. One Coy and Lewis guns were kept in reserve. The brigade attacked at 6.10am on Grandcourt and surrounding trenches, our clearing up parties followed the various battalions of the brigade clearing out all dog outs and old trenches but did not meet with any great resistance. After doing their jobs they remained in shell holes and old trenches sniping at any targets and at dusk men began to return to Battn HQ. Our casualties were rather heavy, 5 killed, 41 wounded and 50 missing (OR) and officer casualties 1 killed, 1 wounded, 2 missing believed killed. During the morning the Louis Gomes and ½ a Coy were ordered to go up that's reinforcements to the frontline and was done without casualties. END