| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
Private Charlie Coulbeck, aged 26, and married with three young children, died of wounds on 29 May 1918, during the massive and surprise German offensive on the Aisne in the Champagne region of France. The Beverley Guardian of 26 Oct 1918 reported he had been missing for some months before formal notification of his death reached his family. He is buried in the Vailly British Cemetery at Vailly-sur-Aisne in France. He was awarded the 1914-15 Star and the War and Victory Medals.
Charlie enlisted at the start of the war as a private in the 5th Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards), 50th Division, and had been in the TA before the war. He arrived in France on 18 Apr 1915 and within a week was in action in Belgium in the Battle of St Julien, Frezenburg Ridge and Bellewarde Ridge. He spent the next year in Belgium. The Beverley Recorder 26 Feb 1916 noted that, “he was in hospital suffering from a bullet wound in his left leg just above the calf. This is the third time he has been in hospital.” He later served on the Somme, at Arras in spring 1917 and at Passchendaele in later 1917. Charlie was mortally wounded in “Operation Blucher”in May 1918.
Charlie was born 8 Jul 1892 and like his father, William, worked at Hasselwood Taylor and Sons of 43 North Bar Within in the furniture making trade. Charlie had served an apprenticeship as an upholsterer. Charlie’s mother was Harriet Coulbeck. He had two sisters and one younger brother. The family lived at 2 Waltham Lane, Beverley. In Sep 1913 Charlie married Gertrude West of Beverley. She worked as a servant. They had three children Harriet, Charles William and Frances and lived in Tiger lane and later at Peel Place, North Bar Without.
Charlie is remembered on the Hengate Memorial in Beverley, on the East Riding Memorial in Beverley Minster, St Mary’s Church Roll of Honour, the Toll Gavel Wesleyan Roll of Honour, and the Church Lads’ Brigade Roll of Honour
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |