1st Battalion, Middlesex Regiment. Regimental Number 10186.
Previously Norfolk Regiment, number 10786.
Early life:
Charles George Annals’ parents were Charles John Annals and Clara Amelia Annals née Guymer. They were married at Norwich in Norfolk in 1888. Their marriage was registered in the first quarter of the year.
Charles George was born in 1888 and his birth was registered at Norwich in the third quarter of the year. Perhaps the marriage was swiftly arranged because Clara was found to be pregnant with him.
In the 1891 census Charles George was aged two and living at 274, Heyham Street in Norwich with his parents Charles John aged 22 and a laundryman, and Clara aged 21 and their youngest child Clara M. was aged just 11 months. Lodging with them was Emma L. Guymer aged 20 and working as a laundress, she may have been Clara’s cousin.
By 1901 they were all living at 312 Heigham Street in Norwich. Father Charles John was a wash laundryman aged 32, Clare was aged 31 and at home, Charles George was aged twelve, Clara M. was ten, Isabel was eight, Gladys was four and the baby of the family, Robert P. was aged one. Also living here was Rosa Meeke aged 20. She was a laundress and cousin of the father Charles John.
By 1911 Charles George seems to have moved to Keighley. He was aged 23 and boarding with 60 year old widow Nancy Ackroyd at 77, Bradford Street. Also here was Nancy’s daughter Janey Wintle aged 28, a dress maker and her nine year old daughter Blanche Wintle who was attending school. Nancy’s son Arthur Ackroyd aged 23 was an iron moulder. Three men were also boarding here, they were all railway porters and were Charlie Annals aged 23, Robert Claydon aged 24 and Walter Smith aged 28. Both Walter and Charlie were born in Norwich.
War service:
There are very few Army records for Charles George Annalls. Our main prompt is his name in the Borough of Keighley roll of honour. The census indicates he was working here and the Soldiers Died in the Great War record states he enlisted here, but we are not sure when. The Soldier’s Effects record indicates his mother received a war gratuity payment of £8, from which we can calculate that he enlisted around October 1914. His name is not recorded in either the Keighley Town Clerk’s Enlistments record, or in Keighley’s Gallant Sons.
It’s possible that as a volunteer he chose to enlist with the Norfolk Regiment as that was where he was born, but on arrival in France he was posted to the 1st Battalion Middlesex Regiment. The medal record shows only the Middlesex Regiment.
Charles George was serving with them when they were bivouaced in a valley to the North East of Mametz Wood. They were heavily shelled for a seven hour period and appears to have been wounded at this time and evacuated to 99, Field Ambulance where he died.
1st Battalion, Middlesex Regiment. War Diary for July 1916:
15/7/16:
Came out of the line, having been relieved by the 4th King’s and some companies of the 2nd Argyll’s.
Bivouaced in the valley just NE of MAMETZ WOOD.
16/7/16:
Quiet day. Organising and cleaning up.
17/7/16:
Shelled heavily from 9.30 am until 4.30 am. The order was given to scatter and we sustained very few casualties. A certain amount of kit was buried. The battalion assembled at about 6 pm and at 8.30 pm we moved into the line again, taking over BAZENTIN-LE-PETIT WOOD. The relief was completed about 4 am.
Charles George Annalls was probably wounded by the shellfire that day and evacuated to the rear where he died of his wounds on the 17th at the age of 28. Nothing more is known about the circumstances of his death, apart from his subsequent burial at Dartmoor Cemetery.
During this month’s tour of the front line the battalion sustained the following casualties:
Officers: 6 killed, 15 wounded.
Other ranks: 57 killed; 250 wounded; 70 missing; 4 to hospital; 9 transferred, 2 to base.
De Ruvignys Roll of Honour, 1914-1919:
Volume 2.
Annalls, Charles George. Private, No. 10186, 1st Battalion Middlesex regiment, son of Charles John Annalls, of Norwich; Served with the Expeditionary Force; Died of wounds in No. 99 Field Ambulance, 17 July 1916.
Remembrance:
Charles George Annals is remembered in perpetuity on his Commonwealth War Grave headstone at Dartmoor Cemetery, Becordel-Becourt in France. He is in grave 47 of row D, in plot I.
He is also named on the Norwich War Memorial panels, although they have spelled his name as: Annale’s, Charles G.
His parents, Charles J. and Clara Annalls, were living at 33, Sayers Street in Norwich.
They arranged for a personal inscription on the headstone which reads:
‘FORGET HIM, NO WE NEVER WILL, WE LOVED HIM HERE, WE LOVE HIM STILL’
Locally to us, he is named in the Borough of Keighley 1914 – 1918 Great War roll of honour book in Keighley Library.
Post war:
His father Charles John was his next of kin and he received the outstanding Army pay amounting to £7 10s 0d on 25th of November 1916. He also received a further payment of £19o on the 26th of May 1917.
A war gratuity payment of £8 was paid to him on the 30th of September 1919.
He would also have received any personal effects, plus the medals which were the 1914–15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal, along with a bronze war memorial plaque and memorial scroll inscribed with his name.
His mother Clara applied for a Dependant’s Pension and received the sum of 5 shillings per week for life, beginning on the 21st of August 1917. Her address changed from 33, Sayers Street to Oak Street on Haworth Brow at a later date. There was a reference of an increase on 12th March 1920 and a further appeal for an increase on 20th January 1921, although no amounts are indicated.
In the 1921 census Charles’ father Charles John was living at Culyers Yard, Wymondham. He was age 51 years and 10 months and was employed as a Stationary Engine Driver for Wymondham Laundry Limited. He was married.
In the census, Clara was living at 24, Oak Street in Haworth. She was aged 48 and head of the household. Living with her were her daughter Kathleen Dora Annalls aged 19 (single) employed as a burler and mender (out of work) for Merrall and Son of Ebor Mill; son Herbert John Annalls (single) aged 16 and ‘Reaching in for Warp Loomers and twisters’ (out of work), also for Merrall and Son of Ebor Mill. William Annals was aged ten and attending school whole time.
Boarding here was Angus Adair aged 25, with no employment listed.
Charles John died aged 63 in 1932. His death was registered at Forehoe in Norfolk in the second quarter of the year.
In the 1939 Register, widowed Clara was living at 6, Sunny Hill Grove in Keighley. She was aged 70 and on ‘unpaid household duties’ Also here was Kathleen D. Annalls (later Raistrick) aged 37 and employed as a cloth burler and mender (textiles). Living here were also George Stones aged 21 (single) and employed as an apprentice Drawing overlooker; and Doris Hargreaves aged 37 (single) and employed as a Laundress and Press Hand.
Clara died aged 83 in 1953. Her death was registered in the Worth Valley in the first quarter of the year.
Information sources:
England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915.
England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915.
1891 England Census.
1901 England Census.
1911 England Census.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Middlesex War Diary for 17th July 1916.
Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919.
De Ruvigny’s Roll of Honour, 1914-1919.
Norwich War Memorial as Annales, Charles G.
British Army World War I Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920.
World War I Service Medal and Award Rolls, 1914-1920.
Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, 1901-1929.
World War I Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923.
1921 England Census.
England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007.
1939 England and Wales Register.
