| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
Charles was born in Beverley early in 1879. He was one of seven children born to James Quaid (1838-1887) and his wife Ann (1846-1892). His father had had a military career and before his death was the Barracks Sergeant at Victoria Barracks. Charles and his mother subsequently moved to Doncaster. In April 1892 Charles was convicted of “stealing from the person” and given 14 days at Wakefield Gaol and three years in a reformatory.
Charles then began his army career, probably in 1898/99. He joined the Dublin Fusiliers 1st Battalion and served in the South African War of 1899-1902 where he was awarded the South Africa Medal with Transvaal, Orange Free State, Tugela Heights and the relief of Ladysmith clasps which suggests considerable involvement in the fighting. He then served in India with the 1st Battalion of the West Yorkshire Regiment and was involved in the successful actions against local tribes on the Indian border with Afghanistan in 1908 for which he received the Indian General Service Medal with the North West Frontier clasp.
Upon outbreak of war Charles was mobilised and arrived in France on September 24th 1914 with the 1st Battalion of the West Yorkshires who were to spend most of 1914-15 in Belgium. In the summer and autumn of 1916, they were involved in the Battle of the Somme in France. The 1st had been involved in actions at Morval and Le Transloy. In September 1916 they took part in further attacks near Flers and Beaulencourt where Charles received serious wounds. He was sent to St Sever Military Hospital in Rouen but died of unknown wounds, aged 37, on October 20th 1916. He was buried at St Sever Cemetery. He was awarded the 1914 Star and the War and Victory Medals.
Charles is remembered on the Hengate Memorial, on the Keldgate Street Shrine and on the East Riding Memorial in the Minster (as “T Quard”). Charles was unmarried. His address in Beverley was at 98 Keldgate living with his brother Walton Quaid (1866-1953) and family. Walton was a labourer who had served in the Merchant Navy. They later moved to Hull. Two of Walton's boys, Charles' nephews, had been killed: Charles Edward Quaid (WW1 Lives WL/17/1) in France on September 20th 1914 and James Quaid (WW1 Lives WL/17/2) in Belgium in December 1915.
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |