Arthur Charles was born in October 1890, the youngest of 10 children of John Charles and his wife Keziah, née Ellwood.

Arthur was admitted to Haddenham Boys’ School from the Infants’ School on 1st March 1897, when the family was living in the High Street, and left in 1903, aged 13. It is likely he became a farm labourer like his father and older brothers. By 1911 John and Keziah, listed as Kate, were in West End with only three children, all adults, remaining at home.

We have no service record for him, so do not know when Arthur joined the Cambridgeshire Regiment, but he could not have joined his battalion in France before December 1915, as he was awarded the usual Victory and British War Medals, but had not earned the 1914/15 Star.

The Casualty List of 11th September 1917 (these were often several weeks out of date) reported Arthur as being wounded, but this must have been minor as he was back in the field that month, with the Ely Standard of 26th October stating that he had been missing since 26th September. His body was never found and this is the date on which he was believed to have been killed in action.

His name is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial as well our own memorial on The Green.

Rosemary Gorman