South Warwickshire Family History Society War Memorial Transcription Project |
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Military History |
| Theatre of War | Medals | Commonwealth War Grave of Memorial |
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| France and Flanders | British War & Victory Medals | Tyne Cot Memorial |
| Arrived in Theatre | Medal Citation (if app) | SWFHS Area Memorials |
| Sometime after Jan 1st 1916 | ~ | Shottery War Memorial |
| Stratford on Avon WW1 Memorial | ||
| Action, Battle or Other Reason Killed | Date and Place Enlisted Date | Stratford Holy Trinity Church |
| Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele) | Nov 1915 at Stratford on Avon | |
| Place of Death | Previous Regiments or Units | |
| Due south of Poelcappelle | ~ | |
Circumstances Leading to Death (Normally from War Diary)
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Charles is listed as being killed in action on 4th Oct 1917 when 1st/5th Battalion carried out a coordinated attack near Poelcappelle. The attack 3 sets of objectives shown in the map below - Blue Objective 1, Green 2 and Red 3. The Battalions Report on Operations for the period 1st to 5th October is transcribed below. Mon 1st Oct: C.O. 2nd in Command and Signal officer went up to reconnoitre from Victoria House (re-named P House) D.7.b.31. 2nd in Command stayed up, Company Commanders and their 2nd in Commands joining him. The objectives were observed as much as possible from O.P’s and landmarks noted. A dusk these officers went over their forming up ground & put in marking posts. All returned before dawn except 2nd in commands of Coys who staying in trenches all day returning at dusk. Tues 2nd Oct: 1 Officer and 2 NCO’s per Coy went up at dusk, reconnoitred the forming up position under 2nd in Command. Signal Officer and Intelligence Officer laid directing tapes from Janet Farm to P House & from Janet Farm to Arbre. Signal Officer Lieut C.L. Gordon wounded. Wed 3rd Oct: These officers and NCO’s stayed in the front line all day taking compass bearings etc. Forming up tapes laid out under 2nd in Command (Capt. E. Holt) & Bn in position by 11pm with only one casualty.
Thur 4th Oct: The enemy opened a heavy fire along our forming up line at twenty minutes before zero & B Coy suffered 7 casualties (O.R’s) and 1 Officer before zero. The Attack - A CompanyRight Company (A COY) No 1 Platoon under 2/Lieut W Shadbolt got to Vale House with only a few casualties & consolidated the flanks. No 2 Platoon passed through No 1 has some severe fighting around Winzig took prisoners and consolidated. No 3 & 4 Platoons came through No 1 & 2 but the New Zealanders (1 Auckland Bn) lost direction and pushed our men over to the left. No 3 platoon under 2/Lieut A.F. Foreman got on to the high ground around D.2 central & consolidated with the 1/6th R. War R. on the left and the New Zealanders on the right, he had about 10 men remaining. No 4 Platoon after casualties from M.G. fire on the left reached D.2.c.7.1 and dug in. About zero + 50 minutes heavy shelling of Vale House commenced almost wiping out No 1 Platoon, wounding the Platoon commander & killing or wounding all of the forward HQ which had just moved up there. (Capt Holt, 2/Lt Mincher and 2/Lt Shadbolt wounded) The Attack - B CompanyLeft Front Company (B COY) As soon as the leading platoons commenced moving forward heavy M.G. fire was opened from the front about D.2.c.1.4 – D.2.c.5.5 in all about 5 (light pattern) M.G’s and many snipers. These places were eventually cleaned up but the Coy was only about 30 strong, Lt C.E. Carrington with about 10 men worked across to D.2 central & consolidated there. The remainder of the Coy consolidated in the positions they had taken. The Attack - C CompanyRight Support Company (C COY) Moved up at zero + 20 minutes & some of the leading men became somewhat involved in the fighting round Winzig. The pressure from the New Zealanders on the right pushed the Coy over & 2/Lt Hale with No 9 Platoon got to about D.2 central & consolidated just in rear of the New Zealanders. No 10 & 11 lost direction & I found them about 9.15am about D.2.c.3.3 & sent them off in the direction of their objectives D.3.c.0.6 and D.3.c.2.8 but apparently they crossed the Strombeek about D.2.c.1.6 & working to the left consolidated behind the New Zealanders about D.2.b.2.1 The Attack - D CompanyLeft Support Company (D COY) Moved up at zero + 20 minutes & soon lost all its Officers and 3 Platoon Sergeants from shell fire & snipers who still held out about D.2.c.5.3. The remains of 2 platoons I found about D.2.d.14 where they were dug in close to the 2 M.G’s of A Section (Lt Whyle) the other two platoons were in shell holes when I arrived about 9.30am & I ordered CSM Scott to dig in along the line of the Strombeek about D.2.c.5.5. About 100 prisoners were taken (wounded and unwounded) by the Battalion. During the day Lt C.E. Carrington was ordered to withdraw and form a Support Coy about Albatross Farm. Also in the afternoon the New Zealanders moved to the right, thereby leaving about 30 men of the 1/5 R.War.R under 2/Lt F.W.Hale & 2/Lt A.F. Foreman between D.2 central & Wellington Farm. This thinning out was very necessary as there were too many men in the area & it was being heavily shelled. About 4.45pm 3 Coys of the 1/5th Gloucesters advanced to advance our line but although Capt. E.P.Q. Carter & 2/Lt G.T. Gauntlet directed them to our front the high ground around D.2 central & the fact of having to cross the stream diagonally if they kept in the right direction attracted them towards D.2. Central where they dug in. Fri 5 Oct: Area around Winzig – Vale House and valley of the Stroombeek heavily shelled. At dusk relieved the New Zealanders who had come into our area by 3 Coys with 1 Coy in support about D.2.a.1.4. |
| Personal & Family History |
| Birth Date/Place | Bapitsm Date/Place |
|---|---|
| 10 May 1898 Shottery | 29 Jun 1898 at Stratford on Avon |
| Parents Names | Abode |
| Charles (deceased) and Annie Berry | 6, The Barracks, Shottery |
| Wife & Marriage Date/Place | Children & Year of Birth |
| ~ | ~ |
| Schools | Colleges |
| ~ | |
| Address History | Employment History |
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1901 - Shottery |
1911 - School 1915 - Cleaner for Great Western Railway |