| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
Charles Coates was born in Beverley on 25 Feb 1873, the fourth of six children born to John Padget Coates and Christiana Coates (nee Southwick), who married in the town in 1860. In 1871 John was a grocer and cowkeeper, but was later employed as a chemist’s warehouseman. At the time of Charles’ birth they lived on Flemingate, later moving to Wilbert Lane. Charles was one of five brothers. Brothers John and William became tinsmiths and gasfitters. His brother Herbert worked as a tanners’ labourer whilst Joseph and David worked at the Beverley shipyard as shipwright’s carpenters. Charles spent time working away from Beverley: in 1901 he was in Wellington, Salop, and in 1911 he was lodging at Prestongate in Hessle. His occupation recorded as a sheet iron worker. By the time of his war service he was back in Beverley
Charles served as a sapper in the Royal Engineers, who were responsible for the railways, roads, water supply, bridges and transport in France and Belgium. They also operated the railways and inland waterways. There would have been no communications with the front line without the RE’s who maintained the telephones, wireless and other signalling equipment. Charles was attached to the Railways section where presumably his metal working skills were invaluable. He was awarded the War and Victory Medal
After the war Charles returned to Beverley, where his brothers continued to live, in the 1925 electoral register and the 1939 Register he is recorded as living at 14 Prince’s Gardens and according to the latter was still a tinsmith and gasfitter. He was single. Charles died in May 1951 and was buried at the Queensgate Cemetery in Beverley on 24 May.
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |