| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
Charles was born in Beverley on 22 Nov 1895 and baptised at Beverley Minster on 18 Dec 1895 the son of Charles Arthur Wilson, originally from Driffield, and Frances Annie. Charles was brought up in North Bar Street and then at 6 Spencer Street off Walkergate. He worked as a grocer’s errand boy. By the time war broke out Charles was a baker working for Richard Care at 40 Saturday Market, Beverley.
The Beverley Guardian of 17 Aug 1917 provides some information on Charles’ military career. He joined up in 1915 and arrived in France in the early summer of 1916. He served as a gunner in the Royal Garrison Artillery. On 1 Aug 1917 he was badly wounded by shrapnel in the left thigh, sufficiently serious to be repatriated to the Nottingham General Hospital. The RGA operated behind the front line, often in fixed positions, to fire heavy and powerful shells on to key German positions like communications points. The 3rd Battle of Ypres had begun just before this date in late Jul 1917 so he may have been serving there. He was awarded the War and Victory Medals.
Charles resumed his job as a baker, reaching the status of “foreman baker” by 1939. On 29 Jan 1923 Charles married Florence Edith Middleton at St Mary’s Church, Beverley. The couple lived at 25 Wood Lane, Beverley. Their only son, Neville, was born in 1925. Charles died in 1979 aged 83. Florence died in 1980.
Includes information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |