Charles William Henry Upson

A Private with the 2nd Battalion, Charles died on 4th of July 1916 at the age of 22. 

Charles was born at Lowestoft on 12 November 1893, a son of William and Alice Upson. He attended Hervey Street Infant School and, from 27 August 1900, was a pupil at Saint John’s School, Lowestoft. In 1901 his family lived at 7 Clemence Street, Lowestoft. By 1906 they were living at 27 Stevens Street, Lowestoft, and later at 17 Stevens Street. 

In 1906 Charles was among a group of boys who ‘prowled about the streets, committing small depredations’ that ‘must be broken up.’ In November 1906 four of the boys, including Charles, were arrested and tried at Lowestoft Magistrate Court, accused of stealing a silver watch and chain. Charles, and two others, were found guilty and sentenced to five years at a reformatory school. The boys were removed form the court crying. See Lowestoft Journal 16 November 1906, page 3. Charles spent the next three years at Kerrison Reformatory School, Eye, Suffolk. 

Before joining the regular army Charles with the 2nd Volunteer Battalion Norfolk Regiment. 

Charles was working as a bricklayer’s labourer when he enlisted in the Norfolk Regiment at Norwich on 29 March 1910. He served with the 1st Battalion.

Charles was promoted paid Lance Corporal on 16 October 1911, but, from 22 December 1911 reverted to Private because of misconduct. On 12 February 1913 he joined the 2nd Battalion in India. Charles was in India, with the 2nd Battalion Norfolk Regiment, when the First World War began. The Battalion went straight to Mesopotamia and Charles arrived there, with the rest of the Battalion, on 15 November 1914. He served with A Company. 

Charles would have been present at the Battle of Shaiba in April 1915. 

On 10 July 1915 Charles was on sentry duty and fell asleep. He was tried by Court Martial at Amarah on 15 July 1915 and found guilty. He was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment with hard labour. The sentence was suspended under the Army (Suspension of Sentence) Act 1915.  

On 18 September 1915 Charles was admitted to 2 Field Ambulance at Sannaiyat, suffering from jaundice and he returned to duty on 22 September. He was admitted to 106 Field Ambulance (at Ayiyiyah?) with dysentery on 30 October 1915 and was transferred to 1 Field Ambulance on 10 November 1915 before, on 15 November, being transferred to 19 Casualty Clearing Hospital.   

On 21 November 1915 the 2nd Battalion were in a night march moving into position ready for an attack at Ctesiphon at dawn on 22 November 1915. The Battalion suffered 267 casualties during the Battle of Ctesiphon, around half their fighting strength.  

On 29 November 1915 the British, including the 2nd Norfolks, were ordered to retreat to Kut-al-Amarah. The forced march lasted 46 hours and they managed to reach Kut on 3 December 1915. From 7 December the British and Indian Army garrison was besieged by the Turkish Army. 

The siege lasted 147 days and the garrison suffered terribly during that time. On 29 April 1916 the garrison surrendered. The garrison was marched into captivity at Aleppo. Charles was taken prisoner at Kut-al-Amarah. 

Charles died from dysentery, at Borak Camp Hospital, Baghdad, on 4 July 1916. This date is confirmed in his service papers. 

Less than 90 of the Norfolk men survived the siege at Kut.

Charles' cousin, Thomas Chenery, died in 1916 whilst serving with the 1/4th Battalion Suffolk Regiment.