LOVEDAY, Charlie


No.T4/143212, Driver, Charlie LOVEDAY
Aged 24


136th Horse Transport Coy., Royal Army Service Corps
Died of Illness on Saturday, 7th December 1918


Charlie Loveday was born in Withersfield (Risbridge Q4-1877 4A:177), son of Jonah and Rhoda Kate LOVEDAY (née CARTER ). It appear neither liked their given names since records usually show his father as John and mother as Kate.

1901 census...Aged 8, he was "near the Green, Withersfield with his father John LOVEDAY [35], coal carter born Thurlow; his mother Kate [37], born Thurlow; brothers Harry [20] brickmaker and Allen [14] milk cart driver, both born Thurlow, and Fred [12] born Withersfield; sisters Rose [10], Maud [6] and May [2], all the sister born in Withersfield. Bearing in mind the ages, it has to be realised that the legal minimum age for marriage at that time was 14 for boys and 12 for girls. In fact, checking the 1891 census, there they record that Kate was 24 with a son Harry aged 10.

1911 census...Aged 18, farm labourer, he was at Barracks Row, Withersfield with his parents; brother Fred, farm labourer; sisters May and Hilda [9] born Withersfield. One of the 9 siblings had died.

On the "Living Relatives" Army form his father completed in December 1919 his parents (father 58 and mother 56) and brother Allen [31] and Fred[29] were at Barracks Row, Withersfield. Sister Rose LEACH [26] was at Mount Cottage, Hadley Common, Barnet; Maud [23] and Hilda [16] were with the parents at Barracks Row and May CORNELL [22] was at the Green, Withersfield.



He enlisted in Haverhill on 12th December 1915 and was placed on Reserves. Mobilised on 3rd March 1916, at Woolwich, he gave his age as 22 years 10 months, single, from Barracks, Withersfield. Father Jonah Loveday. He was 5 feet 3.25 inches (160.6 cm)tall, weighed 139 lbs (63 kg), chest 35.5" to 37.5" (90.2 to 95.3 cm)
He embarked at Devonport on 11th January 1917 on HMT "Aeneas", arriving in Salonika on 2nd February 1917 and joining 18th Auxiliary Horse Transport Coy.
He was admitted to 28 General Hospital on 24th December 1917 and returned to duty with 163 Horse Transport Coy on 24th January 1918.
He was then admitted to hospital on 29th November 1918 suffering from malaria and influenza, and died there of Bronchio pneumonia at 17:30 on 7th December.

Originally buried in Guvesne (now ASSIROS) grave F:13, he was moved in 1921, with the others, the 17 miles south to Mikra Cemetery in Thessalonika.



photo: Commonwealth War Graves Commission



Charlie Loveday is buried in Kalamaria, Mikra British Cemetery grave 1621

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


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