Name
Charles Owen Catling
30/10/1891
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
10/07/1916
25
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Lance Corporal
12940
Bedfordshire Regiment
6th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
Pier and Face 2 C.
France
Headstone Inscription
He has no Headstone. He is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the fallen in France.
UK & Other Memorials
St Mary’s Church Bayford & Brickendon Memorial, Bayford, Not on the Hertford memorials, Not on the Bayfordbury Estate memorial
Pre War
Charles Owen Catling was born on 30 October 1891, in Bayford, Herts, son for Owen Catling (a Gardener) and Sarah Ann Catling (nee Wagstaff). One of 5 Children. Baptised on 6 December 1891, at St Mary’s Church, Bayford, Herts.
He attended Bayford National School, starting on 13 April 1896, aged 4.
1901 Census records Charles aged 9, living with his parents, brother Fred and three sisters at, The Gardens, Bayfordbury, Bayford, Herts. 1911 Census records Charles aged 19 , working as a Gardener, living with his parents, and sisters Emily and Dorothy at, The Gardens, Bayfordbury, Bayford, Herts.
Wartime Service
Charles enlisted at Hertford, posted to the Bedfordshire Regiment with the service number 12940. He embarked with his Battalion on 30 July 1915, at Southampton, aboard the SS. Empress Queen for Le Havre, France, arriving about 7.30 am the following morning, they disembarked and marched to No. 5 Rest Camp.
On 10 July 1916 he was in the trenches with his battalion at the Somme, east of Albert, defending the front line against attack from Contalmaison when he was killed. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the fallen in France.
Additional Information
His father received a dependents pension of 5/- a week from 6 November 1918, and his pay owing of £3-9s-11d, and a war gratuity of £8-10s-0d, went to his mother. The CWGC Additional Information; Records “husband of Sarah Ann Catling” we believe this to be an error as no record was found of him being married, his mother’s name was Sarah Ann.
Acknowledgments
Stuart Osborne
Malcolm Lennox
