Charles George Church

An Engineman with H.M. Drifter Dewey, Charles died on 12th of August 1917 at the age of 26. 

Charles was born at Middleton, Suffolk, on 8 January 1891, a son of William and Mary Ann Church. In 1891 his family lived at The Moor, Middleton. By 1901 they were living ‘near Crossways’, Blundeston. By 1914 his family lived at Meadow Cottage, Oulton, and later his parents lived at Church Farm, Oulton Road Lowestoft. In 1911 Charles was a deck hand on the trawler Livonia at Paul, Cornwall. 

Charles joined the Royal Naval Reserve on 16 December 1914 and served with the drifter Dewey. 

On 12 August 1917 the Dewey was sailing in the English Channel. The drifter collided with S.S. Glenifer, near the Royal Sovereign Light Vessel (some sources state that the Dewey was ‘run down’) and sank with the loss of ten crew. 

Charles’ brother Edward served with the Suffolk Regiment and died in 1917.