Military History

Charles is listed as being killed in action on 23 March 1918. The 6th Battalion war diary entry for that day is transcribed below.

Line at Lagnicourt - Vaulx 23 March 1918: During the night 22^nd/23^rd troops in front of us fell back to our line which now became the line of resistance. Troops on our right flank S of Bapaume Road fell back leaving our right flank unprotected. Defensive flank formed on our right.

General attack on all positions by enemy started at 8am. All frontal advances by enemy were repulsed by steady & controlled rifle & Lewis Gun fire. At 2.15pm order received from Bde to fall back. Owing to general attack being in progress and the nature of the ground – a glacis upward slope – heavily barraged and swept by cross fire from enemy Machine Guns, it was decided to try to hold on until nightfall and then withdraw. It was not known until later that troops on our right had fallen back to such an extent as to give no covering fire to our flank.

At 4pm enemy, entirely checked at front by the steadiness of our men, began an enveloping movement on our right and left flanks.

At 4.30pm as we were being outflanked, orders were issued to withdraw to next system of defense behind Beugny.

At 5pm Battalion withdrew by a rearguard action, many men sacrificing they lives in covering the withdrawal of their comrades. Enemy placed heavy artillery barrage on our line of withdrawal and swept our retirement with intense cross-fire from his machine-guns behind our position.

On reforming 6 officers (2 of them wounded) and 32 men were present. The transport and surplus personnel moved from Sanders Camp, Harlincourt at 10am to Bancourt arriving at 11am and leaving 1 hour later parking in a field SE of Bapaume. Reinforcements of 81 other ranks left at 7pm to join remnants of Battalion holding the line.

War diary shows that by the 23rd March the battalion was in the front lines near Morchies after the opening attack by the Germans on March 21st. They were then subject of a full scale attack on their lines which caused their right and left flanks to be left open and they were forced to fall back under fire. By the end of the day only 6 Officers and 32 men were present at the new line at Beugny.