Name
Charles Catley
12 October 1890
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
11/04/1918
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
9751
Bedfordshire Regiment
2nd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star, British War and Victory Medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
PREUX-AU-BOIS COMMUNAL CEMETERY
A. 36.
France
Headstone Inscription
None
UK & Other Memorials
Barkway Village Memorial, St Mary Magdalene Church Memorial, Barkway, St Mary’s Church Roll of Honour, Ware, Ware Town Memorial
Pre War
Charles Catley was born on 12 October 1890 in Barkway, nr Royston, Hertfordshire, the son of Edward and Susannah Catley (nee Scripps) and was baptised on 12 October 1890 at Barkway.
The family were living in the High Street, Barkway on the 1891 Census and his father was working as a farm labourer. They remained there in 1901 Census and were living next to the Tally Ho public house.
Charles' regimental number of 9751 suggests that he enlisted sometime in April 1911 and joined the Bedfordshire Regiment. It is thought he enlisted in Royston and served with the 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment.
Wartime Service
At the outbreak of war, the 2nd Battalion, in which Charles was serving, was sent to France in early October 1914, leaving Southampton on the S S Winifredian on 5 October 1914. After docking in Dover for supplies, they arrived at Zeebrugge the following day.
He would have fought in many important battles, including the First Battle of Ypres, Battles of Festubert and Loos in 1915, the Battles of the Somme in 1916 and the Third Battle of Ypres, otherwise known as the Battle of Passchendaele, in 1917.
Charles was killed in action on 11 April 1918 during the attack on Preux Aux Bois and is buried in Preux Aux Bois Communal Cemetery, France.
Additional Information
His mother received a war gratuity of £25 and pay owing of £9 12s 9d. No pension records have been found.
Brother to Edward Catley who died of wounds on 1 October 1915 and is also named on the Barkway and Ware memorials.
N.B. The most common spelling of the surname is Catley with one 't' but it can be found in some records with two. The connection with Ware has not been established but there are some people with the Catley surname living in Ware on the 1921 Census.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Paul Johnson, Adrian Pitts
