Name
Charles Edward (Edwin*1) Saines
21//09/1898
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
22/10/1917
19
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Second Lieutenant
Royal Flying Corps
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
SOUTH MIMMS (ST. GILES) CHURCHYARD
South of church tower.
United Kingdom
Headstone Inscription
He is commemorated with his mother on the family grave.
UK & Other Memorials
South Mimms Village Memorial, Old Russellians - WW 1 Memorial
Pre War
Charles Edward SAINES was born on 21st September 1898, in Camberwell, London & Surrey, son of Harry Saines a Clerk and Kitty Saines (nee Tomblin). The third of their four children.
His parents were married on 3rd May 1891, at St Peters, Fulham, London.
1901 Census records Charles aged 2, his parents, brother James (9) and sister Sybil (7), living at 32 Abbington Square, Camberwell, London & Surrey. His father is recorded as Drapers Warehouseman. The family had three Boarders.
Sister Evelyn Rose Saines was born in late 1901, in Camberwell, London & Surrey.
His father Harry Saines died on 23rd May 1910, at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, London, aged 53.
1911 Census records Charles aged 12, as an inmate at Warehousemen, Clerks and Draper’s School, (Orphans School), Russell Hill, Purley, Surrey.
Wartime Service
Charles enlisted in London in March 1916, giving his age as 18 years and his occupation as a journalist, posted to the reserve. He was called up for war service on 23rd December 1916, joining the Royal Flying Corps and issued with the service number 62595.
In March 1917, Charles was posted to Oxford for Officer Training, Commission 2nd Lieutenant in May 1917.
He was killed in a flying accident, while flying a Camel B3804, on 22nd October 1917. He is buried in a family plot in St Gile’s Churchyard, South Mimms, Herts.
Additional Information
His effects were split between his mother Kitty and brother James. £68.04s-02d, went to his mother and £16-06s-00d, to his brother James.
Charles was not eligible for a medal as he did not serve overseas.
Both his service records are available on-line at Find my Past UK www.findmypast.co.uk and Ancestry UK www.ancestry.co.uk.
Charles' grave (not CWGC) bears the inscription:
IN LOVING MEMORY OF KITTY SAINES
DIED 21ST MAY 1942, AGED 78 YEARS
AND
LIEUT. CHARLES EDWARD SAINES
KILLED FLYING 22ND OCTOBER 1917, AGED 19 YEARS.
*1 the CWGC records Charles Edward as Charles Edwin and as a Second Lieutenant.
Acknowledgments
Stuart Osborne
Jonty Wild
