No.30191, Private, Charles BADCOCK
Aged 39
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Charles Badcock was born in Soham (Newmarket Q1-1878 3B:543), son of John and Sarah Ann BADCOCK (née BADCOCK)
1881 census...Aged 3, he was at Clay Street, Soham with his father John BADCOCK [46] farm labourer, born Burwell; his mother Sarah A [42] born Burwell; brothers George [19], John [16] both farm labourers born Burwell, Harry [10] and William [6] both born in Newmarket; sisters Phoebe [15] born Burwell, Mary A. [8] born Newmarket and Annie [5] born Soham. 1891 census...Aged 13, farm labourer, he was at Hasse Drove, Soham with his parents, sisters Mary Ann and Annie, brothers William (farm labourer) and Tom [9] born Soham. 1901 census...Aged 23, he was at Hasse Road, Soham with his widowed mother and sister Mary Ann AUDUS and her husband Abner AUDUS [29] farm labourer born Soham and their children James William [6], Charles [4], Sydney [2] and George [1 month], the boys all born in Soham. Charles and Sydney AUDUS were to die during the war. Cousin Charles Audus was killed in action in France in 1917. see here ..and cousin Sidney Audus died in 1918 at home (either from illness or wounds) see here 1911 census...Aged 33, a farm labourer, he was at East Fen Common, Soham with his wife Alice May [31] born in Soham, daughter Alice Elizabeth [8] and sons Charles William [5] (b.22-3-1906), Stanley Arthur [2](b.17-2-1909) and James [3 months](b.26-12-1910) all born in Soham The family were all still at East Fen Common on the pension card. For some unknown reason the pension in regard to Stanley was held in abeyance) |
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He enlisted in Bury St Edmunds. The Germans launched their Spring Offensive (Kaiserschlacht) on 21st March 1918 and for a while were very successful in pushing the Allies back. Gradually however they lost the momentum. On the 27th May the Germans mounted a third offensive, this time in a French sector near the River Aisne. This sector was by chance held by the battered British IX Corps which, in need of a rest, had been allocated to a supposedly quiet area. The British troops involved included 2nd East Lancashires, in the 8th Division, and the 2nd South Lancashires and 9th Loyal North Lancashires, in the 25th Division. All three were in reserve when the forward areas were pounded by the largest concentration of artillery yet assembled. The main line of defence was quickly breached and overwhelmed and the reserves were committed piecemeal in desperate and confused fighting against odds of at least four to one. All cohesion was soon gone, but the troops fought on in isolated company groups and mixed detachments, retiring in close contact until the tide was turned and, after eight days of heavy fighting, the German advance was once more ground to a halt. On the 27th May the 2nd East Lancs had 65 killed, only 4 have identified graves.
commemorated on his wife's gravestone in Soham photo: Commonwealth War Graves Commission click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details |
