Charles William Seeley

A Private with 11th Bn., Charles died on 3rd of October 1916 at the age of 21. 

Son of Cornelius William and Edith Seeley of The Lodge Waveney Hill Oulton Broad; Lowestoft Suffolk. 

Charles arrived in France with the 11th Battalion Essex Regiment on 30 August 1915. Charles' battalion served in the Ypres area before being transferred to the Somme region in August 1916. On the evening of 21 September 1916 the 11th Battalion relieved the 2nd Battalion Coldstream Guards in trenches near Mealte. During the next eight days they were involved in attack that moved the British line forward toward the village of Les Boeufs, which was taken by the 1st West Yorkshire Regiment on 25 September. 

This period was judged to be a very successful time for the 11th Essex as they took about 200 prisoners and captured 12 trench mortars. However they suffered the loss of 21 men killed and 113 wounded before they moved to billets on 29 September.

Charles was among the wounded. He was taken to the 56th (1/1st South Midland) Casualty Clearing Station, at Dernancourt, where he died on 3 October 1916.