Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Memorial: | Dantzig Alley British Cemetery | II. B. 3. Mametz | |
| 2. Book: | The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918 | Pg.129 | |
| 3. Memorial: | The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour | 55A GQS | |
Awards & Titles: | Mentioned in Despatches 1914-15 Star British War Medal Victory Medal | ||
Family :
Son of Major and Mrs. Charles Edward and Susan Laura May, of New Zealand and London. Husband of Bessie Maude Earles (formerly Holl), of 1, Rue Hwys Mans, Paris who he married at Leytonstone on the 17th February, 1912.Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: 22nd Battalion Manchester Regiment |
| Action : The Battles of the Somme 1916 |
The Battle of the Somme 1st July - 18th November 1916 is inevitably characterised by the appalling casualties (60,000) on the first day, July 1st 1916. Having failed to break through the German lines in force, and also failed to maximise opportunities where success was achieved, the battle became a series of attritional assaults on well defended defence in depth. The battle continued officially until 18th November 1916 costing almost 500,000 British casualties. German casualties were about the same, and French about 200,000. The Somme could not be counted a success in terms of ground gained or the cost, but it had a strategic impact as it marked the start of the decline of the German Army. Never again would it be as effective whilst the British Army, learning from its experience eventually grew stronger to become a war winning army. The German High Command recognised that it could never again fight another Somme, a view that advanced the decision to invoke unrestricted submarine warfare in an attempt to starve Britain of food and material, and in doing so accelerated the United States declaration of war thus guaranteeing the eventual outcome. 287 Brethren were killed on the Somme in 1916.
Detail :
C Company, 22nd Battalion The Manchester Regiment.
Charles was Mentioned in Despatches by Field Marshal Douglas Haig on the 13th November 1916 for "distinguished and gallant services and devotion to duty", which is recorded officially in by the London Gazette on the 4th January, 1917. Additionally, for his service, he was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal. Charles' medals were donated to the Museum of the Manchester Regiment in March 2004.
For further biographical detail see The Men Behind the Medals.
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | King's Colonials No. 3386 E.C. | London |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
18th November 1910 | 28th February 1911 | 30th March 1911 |
Source :
The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:
- The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
- The (UK) National Archives
- Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
- ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry
Additional Source:
- Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
- Researcher : Bruce Littley