| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information
Charles Frederick Haldenby was born in Beverley on July 27th 1889 and baptised later in the year at St Mary's on October 2nd. His mother was Sarah Ellen Haldenby from Beverley but no father was declared on the register. Sarah had given birth to another son, John, 0n September 8th 1877 and was baptised at Elloughton and Brough church on May 5th 1878. Again no father was named. (John Haldenby served in the Royal Navy in WW1 and is WW1 Lives 425). Sarah worked as a domestic servant and John and Charles were largely brought up by their grandparents in the Brough area. Little is known of Charles' early life but in the 1911 census was recorded working as a beastman on the Hayton farm in Haltemprice. His mother had been married at St Mary's in Beverley on May 10th 1903. Sarah initially lived with her new husband, Charles Firman, and his daughter, at 18 Silvester Lane until her death in Hull in late 1922.
Charles enlisted early in the war, joining the 3rd Hull Pals Battalion (the 12th Battalion of the East Yorkshire Regiment). the 12th were referred to as the "Hull Sportsmen" but nothing is known of Charles' sporting links. After training the 12th (part of 92nd Brigade, 31st Division) were sent to Egypt on December 28th 1915 to perform guard duties along the Suez Canal.
In March 1916 they were sent on to France and took a central part in the action at Serre on the Somme in late November. They were subsequently involved in the Battle of Arras in April and May 1917, especially the 3rd Battle of the Scarpe and the bloody action at Oppy Wood. In 1918 they were involved in the retreat in France in the Spring of 1918 and later in the final offensives in Belgium in autumn 1918. Charles was awarded the War and Victory Medals.
Whilst on leave in early summer 1917 Charles was married in Beverley (probably at the Registry Office) to Edith Fenton, born in Patrington in 1891.
After the war they moved to Hull where Edith died in 1922. They had one child, Doreen, born on July 19th 1916. Charles worked as a road labourer and was recorded as living on Barton Avenue in the 1939 Register. Charles died in early 1967 at the age of 77.
Includes information taken from census, military records, newspapers |