EVES, Charles William


No.260156, Private, Charles William EVES
Aged 22


1st/8th Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment
formerly 202031, Essex Regiment
Killed in Action on Monday, 27th August 1917


Charles William Eves was born in 1895 in Helions Bumpstead (Risbridge Q1-1896 4A:726), his parents have not been identified.
The surname EAVES or EVES seems to be interchangeable.

1901 census...Aged 6, he was at The Marquis of Granby, Helions Bumpstead with his grandfather Josiah SMITH [50] publican, born Wixoe and his grandmother Sabina [44] born Birdbrook. She is believed to be Lavinia CLARKE on marriage registration in 1877, she is recorded variously as Sabina, Sabinia and Selina.

1911 census...Aged 15, he was at Mill Road, Helions Bumpstead with his grandparents Josiah and Sabina SMITH. His grandfather was now a farm labourer. No occupation is recorded for Charles


Charles enlisted in Haverhill.

Battalion war diary:-
27 Aug.. 5am..Bn HQ moved forward to MAISON DU HIBOU
1.55 pm..Barrage opened along our front.Men lined up clear of the assembly trenches and advanced under the barrage, firing at the enemy who could be seen holding shell hole positions. The advance on the right was checked as SPRINGFIELD was not taken by troops on the right and heavy sniping and MG fire from there and from the concrete emplacements north of it hampered the advance on or left. Capt Tullidge, 2/Lt Horsley, 2/Lt JC Hemming were killed and 2/Lts Wilkes, Myhill and Clarke were wounded.
Our left was held up by more concrete emplacements about 250 yds east of LANGEMARK -GHELUVELT line from which the enemy maintained a heavy machine gun fire. No help was derived from the tanks which started late and made little progress.
"B" and "D" Coys came up to support the attack. "D" Coy under 2 Lt RYAN BELL developed a flank attack on the north of SPRINGFIELD position and captured it at 6:45 pm. 2/Lt RYAN BELL was wounded (died of wounds 30-8-17)
1/4th Bedfords were then in close support to our line which ran about 150 yds east of the TRIANGLE.


CWGC records show 47 of the battalion killed, only six have known graves.



scene of the action






Charles Eves is commemorated on the Tyne Cot memorial, panels 75 to 77

click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details


BACK to Helions Bumpstead home page