Charles is listed as dying of wounds on 11th April 1918 at one of the Military Hospitals in the Etaples area. He was originally admitted to 37th Field Ambulance at Clairfaye on the 5th April 1918 and on the same day he was transferred to the No 3 Casualty Clearing Station at Gezaincourt. On the 7th April 1918 Charles was transferred to a Military Hospital in Camiers via the 24th Ambulance Train which departed Gezaincourt at 03.05am and arrived in Camiers at 09.15am on the 7th.
The 5th Battalion war diary entries for the period 2nd to 5th April 1918 are transcribed below.
3rd Apr 1918
Line Organised as follows:
B Coy - Right front Coy
D Coy - I Platoon
A Coy - Centre Coy
C Coy - Left front Coy
Line Quiet
5th Apr 1918
Bouzincourt: 4am - Received warning of probability of attack at dawn
7am - Heavy Barrage came down on Batteries on line in front of Bouzincourt and on front sytem of trenches.
Intense barrage opened further south where attack developed earlier but spread further north and culminated at 9.30am in intense T.M. [Trench Mortar] barrage and all calibre shells on whole system
9-30am - Enemy launched attacks along whole Brigade front. These were repulsed at all points. Enemy advanced in close formation 3 different times against out left and centre Companies but were repulsed each time with the help of the 9th Royal Fusilier
10am - the situation appeared to be normal
12 noon - a heavy barrage again opened up on whole system and enemy succeeded in entering trenches held by centre and left Companies. The position of right Company and I Platoon D Company remained intact.
2.30pm - Commanding Officer sent up remaining 3 Platoons of Reserve Coy to try to restore the situation. The side of the slope which the Company had to advance was exposted to intense M.G. fireand the Company suffered 50 casualties including the Company Commander Capt J.R. West MC and Lieut A.G. Punnett. The company reached the line of the support trench and dug themselves in there.
The situation remained obscure but reports were received from the O.C. 9th Royal Fusiliers (whose front remained intact) that he was gradually re-occupying the line held by our left Company, till at 6pm he was holding the original front line for 300 yards S of his original boundary. This left a gap of about 600 yards still occupied by the enemy or under his control.
8.15pm - Officer Commandined decided to deliver a counter attack with two companies 7th Royal Sussex Regiment at dusk. This attack was delivered under a barrage at 8.15pm but was only partially successful owing to the intense M.G. fire om the ridge which had to be crossed. END
