Military History

Charles is listed as being killed in action during the Battle of Jutland on 31st May 1916 whilst serving aboard HMS Petard. The following extract from the book Endless Story by Captain Taprell Dorling gives details of the events leading up to his death.

"The Petard, struck six times in as many seconds, was soon out of range. It was sheer good luck that enabled her to escape without being seriously hit in the engine- or boiler-rooms and brought to a standstill. One shot had penetrated the deck over a stokehold and cut an oil fuel pipe, the contents of which shot up in a flaming geyser. The stern of the ship was also badly hit, the whole of the officers and crew of the after 4-inch gun being killed or wounded, all the officers' cabins being wrecked by a shell which made a hole about three feet by two feet in the ship's side,and the funnel and ventilating cowls being perforated through and through by splinters.

Withdrawing out of range, they managed to quench the fire and to take stock of their injuries. In these few seconds the Petard had had 2 officers and 7 men killed, and 1 officer and 5 men wounded. One of the shells striking aft had killed the surgeon-probationer just at the moment his services were most urgently required".