No.32505, Private, Charles Henry HUNT
Aged 23
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Charles Henry HUNT was born in Stow cum Quy in 1894 (Chesterton Q4-1894 3B:440), son of William D and Maria Jane HUNT (née HALL).
1901 census...Aged 6, he was Stow End, Stow cum Quy with his father, William D HUNT [50] miller in flour mill, born Gt Wilbraham ; mother Maria Jane [47] born Fulbourn; brothers William [19[ stockman on farm, Ernest[14] miller in flour mill both born in Lt Wilbraham, George [8]both born in Quy; sisters Sarah A [12]and Rebecca [10] both born in Lt Wilbraham and nephew Basil [5] born Quy 1911 census...Aged 15, a miller, he was still at Stow End with his widowed mother; brother George (farm labourer) and nephew Basil (milker on dairy farm). His nephew Basil was killed in France in 1916 serving in the Suffolk Regiment. ....click here |
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He enlisted in Cambridge. His sole legatee was his mother Maria J
On the 26th March 1918 the 7th Suffolks were taking up defensive positions in the Albert bridgehead that they had themselves prepared 2 years earlier. With their backs to the wall, they were striving, without artillery support, bombs, rifle grenades or trench mortars, to stem the onrush of the overwhelming numbers of the enemy. They had left billets in Albert and by 15:00 had dug themselves in along the railway, their left resting on Albert station and the right 300 yards south of the Albert-Amiens road. At 16:30 they saw waves of Germans advancing towards Albert and around 17:30 the enemy were seen marching along the Albert-Millencourt road. Here the Suffolks, with a Lewis gun, inflicted heavy casualties but the gun was soon put out of action. Attacks along the railway line were twice driven off . At 22.20 the Germans attacked in great strength and the bridgehead was lost.. At 23:15 a counter attack was attempted by the remnants of 2 Platoon together with some from the 5th Northants. Shortage of ammunition doomed this to failure. The line was then withdrawn 300 yards and stabilised. By the time the battalion was relieved on the 28th and the roll taken, they had suffered 256 casualties, one platoon had been reduced to three men. Unusually for a war diary, all the other rank casualties, killed and wounded, are named in each Company, so we learn that Charles was in "A" Company. He fell with Sidney Dean click here
photo: Rodney Gibson click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details |
