| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
Charles was born in Beverley on January 15th 1893 and was baptised at the Beverley Minster on February 3rd of that year. He was the eldest child of Hull born Frederick Leighton (1862-1940) and his wife Margaret (1869-1946) who came from Beverley. Frederick worked at the Beverley Corporation gas works on Beckside as a gas fitter. Charles was brought up on Flemingate and then on Toll Gavel before 8 Priory Rd became the family home. Charles was recorded in the 1911 census as being an “apprentice motor engineer”, but it is not known with whom and whether he completed it. Charles was unmarried.
Like many local men of his age, Charles was a member of the Territorial Army before WW1, serving as a private in the 5th Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment, nicknamed the “Beverley Terriers”. He agreed to serve abroad when war had been declared. As part of 50th Division and 150th Brigade, the 5th were sent to France and then on to Belgium on April 15th 1915. They immediately went into action in the Battle of St Julien in the vicinity of Ypres and stayed in that area until 1916. Sent to France they took part in the Battle of the Somme, specifically in the action at Flers and Courcelette in September 1916.
It was in this fighting near Martinpuich that Charles was killed in action on September 15th 1916, aged 23. His body was not recovered. He is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial on the Somme. He is also commemorated on the Grovehill Street Shrine, the Hengate Memorial and on the East Riding Memorial in the Minster. He was awarded the 1914-15 Star as well as the War and Victory Medals. Many other Beverley men were killed in this action.
Includes information taken from census, military records |