Charles G Stuart-Cox
Memorial: Olveston
Regiment: Gloucestershire Regiment
Medals: 1914–15 Star, British War Medal, Next of Kin Memorial Plaque 1914 - 1921, Victory Medal
Rank and number: Corporal 200579
Parents: Rev. C E and Marion Stuart-Cox
Home address: Westfield, Tockington, Bristol
Date of birth: 1892
Date of death: 12/08/1917
Buried/Commemorated at: Mendinghem Military Cemetery, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium
Age: 25
Further information:
When Charles enlisted at Bristol he, like his brother Thomas, was assigned to the 1st/4th Battalion of the Gloucestershire Regiment where he achieved the rank of Corporal. The Battles of the Somme took place in the second half of 1916 and on 14 December 1916 Charles was transferred to the 1st/6th with a view to being commissioned. This did not happen and the 6th Battalion spent the winter months half way between Albert and Arras at Gommecourt and Hébuterne raiding the German trenches
In the Spring of 1917 they had moved east through Bapaume and were engaging the enemy between Épehy and Villers Faucon, while other elements of the Allied Armies were engaged in the offensive north at Arras which started with the attack at Vimy in April 1917. In June and July the Battalion was relieved and went back to Poperinghe for training. By August 6th they had moved from Dambre Camp up to the reserve trenches near the Steenbeek river on the Ypres Salient in Flanders, where they relieved his old Battalion, the 1st/4th Glosters, in which his brother, Thomas, had lost his life just over a year before. By August 11th, they were in the front line trenches and orders were received from Brigade Headquarters to mount an attack during the night of 12th/13th with the intention of establishing a line of observation posts 150 yards to the east of the Steenbeek. During the night the Germans released gas and Charles and 98 others died in the attack with 91 wounded. The British attack was cancelled and Charles lies in Mendinghem Cemetery near Poperinghe in West-Vlaanderen, Belgium
By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):
Forces War Records and War Memorials Online (Olveston)