| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
Charles Victor Nelson was born in Hull in 1897, one of six children born to Richard Nelson, who was a marine engineer, and his wife Charlotte. Richard died in 1900 and in 1901 Charles Victor, aged 3, lived with his mother and two siblings in St Georges Road, Hull, but three of his older siblings, aged 6, 8 and 9 respectively, all lived in the Seamen's orphanages in Hull. By 1911 Charles's mother had moved from Hull and was living in Beverley, but Charles, aged 13 years, was living in one of the Hull Seamen's orphanages.
Charles was employed as a gardener by Mrs Grimston of High Hall, Etton, near Beverley, and in Dec 1914, giving his age as 19 years 5 months, when in fact he was only 17 years old, he enlisted in the East Yorkshire Regiment, 13th Battalion, (4th Hull) - known as "T'Others" - and as part of the 31st Division the Battalion embarked for Egypt on 29 Dec 1915 to defend the Suez Canal.
In Mar 1916 the 31st Division left Port Said for Marseilles where they took part in various battles of the Somme. After recovering from a gunshot wound to his right forearm that he sustained in 1916, Charles was transferred to the 7th Division and in May 1917 the 7th Division was in action at Bullecourt during the battle of Arras. On 12 May 1917 Charles was killed, aged 19 years.
He was awarded the British War and Victory medals and the 1915 Star, and he is "Remembered with Honour" on the Arras Memorial.
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |