Family :

Education & Career :

Coles was educated privately at South Lynn, Eastbourne and went to Cheam School and then to Wellington College in 1904. He was in the Lynedoch.

From Wellington he went up to Jesus College, Cambridge from 1907. He took his B.A. in 1910. He was an oarsman and athlete. He rowed for his College in the Lent Races in the Jesus I boat which was head of the river that year:

"Coles (11st 5lbs) was a committed oarsman and won head of the river in Lent Bumps 1909, rowing at No 2 in the same boat that T. M. Crowe (another Gallipoli casualty) stroked. He also rowed at the Henley Regatta in the Ladies’ Plate and Thames Cup." (Jesus College Boat Club Records)

"Coles also took part in a couple of athletics events, taking part in the 120 yards hurdle race and the high jump. In the December 1908 College Sports event he recorded a height of 5ft 2½in, which was some way off the Olympic Gold Medal height in the 1912 games at 6ft 3in" (Jesus College Society Annual Report, 1909, p36).

He became a Freemason in 1908 whilst he was studying.

His other great passion was Borzoi hounds. His obit recorded that “He was a gentle but manly youth. His friends might like to know that his grand Borzoi which accompanied him on his walks died this year” (Jesus College Society Annual Report ,1915, p32). The College believes that he kept his Borzoi in the College Stables owing to its size. Dogs were not allowed in College.

Probate shows:
COLES, Crewe of Stonehouse, Bishops Hall, Taunton, Somersetshire. Second-Lieutenant, East Lancashire Fusiliers, died 4 June 1915 in Gallipoli, killed in action. Administration London, 12 October to Charles Edward Coles, esquire. Effects £447 9s. 9d.

Recorded on the Helles Memorial, Gallipoli.

Service Life:

Campaigns:

• The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.

The Gallipoli Campaign was fought on the Gallipoli peninsula 25th April 1915 to 9th January 1916. in a failed attempt to defeat Turkey by seizing the Dardanelles and capturing Istanbul. Ill-conceived and planned, the initial effort by the Royal Navy failed to force passage through the Dardanelles by sea power alone. It was then realised that a land force was needed to support the project by suppressing the Turkish mobile artillery batteries. By the time all was ready the Turks were well aware and well prepared. Despite amazing heroics on the day of the landings only minor beachheads were achieved and over the succeeding 8 months little progress was made. Eventually the beachheads were evacuated in a series of successful ruses.

Despite Gallipoli rightly becoming a national source of pride to Australians and New Zealanders, far more British casualties were sustained, and these days the substantial French contribution is almost forgotten.

Detail :

IWM Collection Ref: HU120179:
2nd LIEUTENANT CREWE COLES, 1/4th BATTN. (TERRIT.) THE EAST LANCASHIRE REGIMENT, born on the 10th March, 1889, was the the son of Coles Pacha, C.M.G., late Inspector General of Prisons, Egypt, and of Mrs. Coles, Stone House, Bishop's Hull, Taunton. He was educated at Jesus College, Cambridge, where he rowed in his college boat (Jesus I) head of the river in the Lent races. He was gazetted to the Territorial Force in February, 1915, and at once undertook Imperial Service obligations. 2nd Lieutenant Coles was killed in action with the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force on the 4th June, 1915, being shot while leading his mean in an attack on the Turkish trenches in front of Krithia.

The Brigadier-General, 126th Brigade, 42nd Division wrote
"He behaved with great gallantry and was conspicuous throughout this action ... I had marked him down for special mention."

A separate but similar account of the Brigadier-General Commanding the 126th Brigade:
" I personally held the highest opinion of him and his capabilities. He behaved with great gallantry and was conspicuous throughout this action. He led his men gallantly, and they followed him. He was amongst the troops of this division who reached bang up to and itno the enemy's rear-most trenches. In fact, I am told that a portion of the attack reached Krithia, but owing to other parts of the attack not being able to get as far, they had to fall back to the general line. His Colonel and the regiment deeply regret his loss, as I do. I had marked him down for special mention Gallipoli June 27th."

Masonic :

Crewe Coles was initiated into Isaac Newton University Lodge No 859 and later joined Grecia Lodge on the 7th April 1914.

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
• Researcher : Tom Hawley
• Website : Jesus College Cambridge Online Records