Charles Thomas Corby

A Rifleman with 3/17th Bn., Charles died on 11th of November 1918 at the age of 29. 

Charles was born at West Ham in 1889, a son of Charles Albert and Elizabeth Corby. By 1901 his family was living at 1911 58 Arthingworth Street, Stratford, West Ham, London, and this was still their home in 1911 when Charles worked as a locomotive fitter for the Great Eastern Railway Company. Later his parents lived at 55 Pakefield Street, Lowestoft. 

Charles was working as a mechanic when he volunteered to join the Army and enlisted at Bow on 26 April 1915. He joined the 17th London Regiment, number 4099. Charles was serving with the 3/17th Battalion, at Winchester, when he was court martialed and found guilty of absence and insubordination and he was sentenced to 28 day detention. He was posted to the 1/17th Battalion and went to France 6 July 1916. He served with B Company. Charles suffered from myalgia and had to undergo treatment in October 1916. Charles returned to England on 21 March 1917, probably because of illness, wound or injury. 

In early 1917 he was renumbered 571703. He returned to serve with the 1/17th Battalion in France on 14 June 1917. On 10 July 1917 he was posted to the 8th London Regiment in France. On 25 September 1917 he returned to England. It seems that Charles was placed into a lower category of medical fitness as he never served overseas again.   

In early 1918 Charles was attached to the Training Wing of the Royal Flying Corps at Shoreham. He was reported absent without leave on 19 February 1918 and his details circulated in the Police Gazette. He returned to the unit and it seems that he was then posted back to the 17th London Regiment and would, therefore, have joined the 3/17th Battalion.

Charles contracted influenza and pneumonias and died at the Military Hospital, Purfleet.