Charles Arthur George

A Private with the 7th Battalion, Charles died on 28th of April 1917 at the age of 30. 

Charles was born at Lowestoft on 20 May 1886, a son of Frederick and Anna George. He was baptised at Saint John’s Church, Lowestoft, on 6 May 1887, and his family lived at 2 Saint George’s Road, Kirkley. In 1891 his family lived at 83 Lawson Road, and this was still their address in 1901 when Charles worked as an errand boy. By 1911 they were living at 34 Lorne Road and Charles was a cycle maker. 

On 27 September 1913 Charles married Eliza May Howe at Saint Peter’s Church, Kirkley. Charles was an engineer and they both lived at Kirkley. Later Eliza lived at 12 Fir Lane.

Charles enlisted in the Army at Lowestoft. He joined the Norfolk Regiment, service number 26481, and was posted to the 7th Battalion in France. 

On 27 April 1917 the 7th Battalion were at Monchy, near Arras, and received orders to attack and capture both Rife Trench and Bayonet Trench, and consolidate other positions, the next day. About midnight on the 28th the front companies report an enemy attack and sent up the S.O.S. signal for artillery support which saw off the enemy attack. At 4.25 a.m. the battalion advanced and after around 50 minutes had reached Rifle and Bayonet trenches, however A and B Companies had not been able to join up with C and D Companies. In fact A and B Companies had been held up by machine-gun fire and had to take cover in shell-holes. Some men from A and B Company tried to crawl back to their start line and were sniped. Any further advance for C and D Companies was made impossible because of machine-gun and rifle fire and they found a German trench that had not been touched by the artillery and some of the wire had not been cut. For the rest of the day the men of C and D Companies lay in shell-holes and when it was dark they set about returning to their lines and bringing in the wounded, but this was severely hampered by enemy machine-gun and rifle fire and the enemy’s use of Very lights. This meant that many men could not be rescued.  

Three officers and 70 men of the battalion were killed, with an unknown number wounded and missing. 

Charles was killed in action on 28 April.

Note: all military records give Charles’ first name as Arthur with Charles as a middle name.