Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Memorial: | Hebuterne Military Cemetery | IV. E. 6. | |
| 2. Memorial: | The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour | 55A GQS | |
Awards & Titles: | |||
Family :
Son of Charles and Alice Emily Dunt, of Shotesham, Norwich. Native of West Kensington, London. Museum Clerk, British MuseumService Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: 13th Battalion London Regiment (Kensington Btn) |
1/13th (County of London) Battalion (Kensington) August 1914 : at Iverna Gardens. Part of 4th London Brigade, 2nd London Division. Moved on mobilisation to Abbotts Langley. 4 November 1914 : left the Division and landed at Le Havre. 13 November 1914 : came under command of 25th Brigade in 8th Division. 20 May 1915 : transferred to GHQ Troops and formed a composite unit with 1/5th and 1/12th Bns. Resumed identity 11 August. 11 February 1916 : transferred to 168th Brigade in 56th (London) Division. |
| 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 :
DUNT, Charles Robert, Private, 1/13 London Regiment (Kensington Btn) Charles DUNT was killed during the diversionary attack at Gommecourt which was designed to occupy German reserves on the first day of the Battle of the Somme (July 1st 1916). The diversionary attack failed with heavy casualties. Charles was a Museum Clerk at the Department of Manuscripts at the British Museum. He had a total of 14 years in the library service. He was the son of Charles and Alice Emily Dunt, of Shotesham, Norwich. Living in West Kensington, London, he enlisted in Queen's Park, in March 1915. Fell 1st July 1916. Age 28. He was omitted from the 1921 Masonic Roll of Honour. Sources; Tom Thorpe Roll of Honour of British Librarians, 1925 Soldiers Died in the Great War
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | Ronaldshay No. 3376 E.C. | London |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
16th December 1913 | 13th February 1914 | 9th May 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