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Keyingham born Charles Herbert Green was only 17 when war broke out but already a seaman, he enlisted in August 1914 at York with the Royal Marine Light Infantry, Plymouth Division. He was attached to the Victory (Royal Marines Brigade) when he reached the eligible service age of 18 in May 1915. Charles undertook training in Gunnery, Musketry and Field Training and his naval record tells us he could swim. He was awarded the 1914-15 Star, together with the British and Victory Medals. By March 1917 Charles was assigned to HMS Hilary, a requisitioned armed merchant cruiser, which formed part of the Northern Patrol blockading trade to Germany and patrolling the area south of the Faroe Islands. On 25 May 1917, whilst en route to the naval base at Scapa Flow to refuel, HMS Hilary was torpedoed by a German submarine and subsequently sank west of Lerwick, Charles was uninjured although there were 4 casualties and a number of injuries.
Charles returned to Northern Patrol in Jul 1917 when he joined a second requisitioned armed merchant cruiser, HMS Victorian and only returned to Plymouth at the end of 1918. Charles' final service with the Royal Marines took him all around the world on HMS New Zealand. He joined Admiral Sir John Jellicoe on his "Tour of the Dominions" setting sail in February 1919, through the Suez Canal, on the outward journey, spending the summer in Australia and New Zealand and returning through the Panama Canal to arrive in Portsmouth at the end of January 1920.
Charles returned to Beverley and in July 1923 married Ethel Wiffen at St Mary's Church. His occupation was given as labourer and his address 78 Norwood Grove, Beverley. On the 1939 Register Charles is living with wife Ethel, one child and his parents-in-law Joseph and Anne Elizabeth at 23 Neville Avenue, Beverley. Alongside Charles' occupation of fitter's labourer at the Oil and Cake Mill, it is noted he was an Auxiliary Fireman.
Charles died in Beverley in 1978 age 81 years
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |