Alderton's WW1 War Dead
Below are the biographical and military details of the sixteen men listed on the Alderton War memorial. I have also included two men whose names do not appear on the Alderton village memorial. Only one of the two Grimmett brothers appears on the memorial, so details of both are included below, and Jesse James, who was born in Alderton but lived in Stanton, where he is commemorated.
Lance Corporal Charles Box
Name/Rank: Lance Corporal Charles Box
Regiment/Battalion: 10th battalion Gloucestershire regiment
Service No: 17365
Date died: 22-23 July 1916
Buried/Commemorated: Thiepval Memorial to the Missing, Somme
Commemorated: Alderton and Sedgeberrow War memorials
Charles Box was born in Bourton-on-the-Hill in 1881. His parents George and Fanny also had a daughter Agnes who was born in 1890. Census records show the family moving around between Cropthorne and Willersley. By 1911 Charles was living in Alderton and was married to Angelina and had a son, William aged 1. Charles’s occupation is listed as a general labourer. His sister-in-law Hilda aged 13 was also living with them. The Sedgeberrow Parish magazine of August 1915 notes Charles as serving in France, and the November 1916 edition lists his death alongside other Sedgeberrow men. So it's likely that Charles was living in Sedgeberrow when he enlisted.
Analysis of Gloucestershire regiment army service numbers suggests that Charles enlisted in the 10th battalion the Gloucestershire regiment at Cheltenham in December 1914. After a period of training the battalion arrived in France on 9th August 1915, forming part of the 1st brigade, 1st Division. The 10th Gloucesters took part in the battle of Loos* in September 1915 and suffered horrendous casualties with 8 officers and 159 men of the battalion losing their lives (including Alderton’s William Diston - see later entry). Several other Alderton men were in the 10th Gloucesters at Loos including Albert Agg (see Reginald Agg entry) and brothers Harry, Frederick and Arthur Chandler. From medal records for the 1914-15 Star and analysis of casualty records of 10th battalion members with similar service numbers to Charles’s it’s likely that he was with the battalion during the attack at Loos and was one of the fortunate survivors.
Later in the war the 10th Gloucesters took part in the battle of the Somme in July 1916. They were in the front-line south of Martinpuich on 21st July in preparation for an attack on the German Switch trench on the 23rd. It was during this attack that Charles Box was killed alongside fifty-six of his battalion comrades. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thievpal memorial to the missing on the Somme.
Following Charles’s death pension records show his wife Angelina Elizabeth Box living in Dumbleton with 3 children, William George, Arthur Charles (4) and Gladys (1). They received a pension of 20/6 a week paid from 22/01/17. Angelina died in 1968 aged 82 in Surrey (St. John the Baptist church). Her address was 76 Inkerman Road, Knaphill.
Following Charles’s death, the Army record of soldiers’ effects lists two amounts of £2 17s 5d & £6 10s that were paid to his wife Angelina in November 1916 and September 1919 respectively. The first payment would likely have been the remains of Charles’s army pay and the second a war gratuity paid out to soldiers and their dependants.
Charles’s service in 1915 entitled him to the 1914-1915 Star as well as the Victory and British War medals.
Charles Box is commemorated on the Alderton and Sedgeberrow War memorials, and the Thiepval memorial on the Somme, France.
* For an excellent study of the 10th Gloucester’s formation, training and action at Loos see “In the Shadow of Lone Tree “by Nick Christian.
Regiment/Battalion: 10th battalion Gloucestershire regiment
Service No: 17365
Date died: 22-23 July 1916
Buried/Commemorated: Thiepval Memorial to the Missing, Somme
Commemorated: Alderton and Sedgeberrow War memorials
Charles Box was born in Bourton-on-the-Hill in 1881. His parents George and Fanny also had a daughter Agnes who was born in 1890. Census records show the family moving around between Cropthorne and Willersley. By 1911 Charles was living in Alderton and was married to Angelina and had a son, William aged 1. Charles’s occupation is listed as a general labourer. His sister-in-law Hilda aged 13 was also living with them. The Sedgeberrow Parish magazine of August 1915 notes Charles as serving in France, and the November 1916 edition lists his death alongside other Sedgeberrow men. So it's likely that Charles was living in Sedgeberrow when he enlisted.
Analysis of Gloucestershire regiment army service numbers suggests that Charles enlisted in the 10th battalion the Gloucestershire regiment at Cheltenham in December 1914. After a period of training the battalion arrived in France on 9th August 1915, forming part of the 1st brigade, 1st Division. The 10th Gloucesters took part in the battle of Loos* in September 1915 and suffered horrendous casualties with 8 officers and 159 men of the battalion losing their lives (including Alderton’s William Diston - see later entry). Several other Alderton men were in the 10th Gloucesters at Loos including Albert Agg (see Reginald Agg entry) and brothers Harry, Frederick and Arthur Chandler. From medal records for the 1914-15 Star and analysis of casualty records of 10th battalion members with similar service numbers to Charles’s it’s likely that he was with the battalion during the attack at Loos and was one of the fortunate survivors.
Later in the war the 10th Gloucesters took part in the battle of the Somme in July 1916. They were in the front-line south of Martinpuich on 21st July in preparation for an attack on the German Switch trench on the 23rd. It was during this attack that Charles Box was killed alongside fifty-six of his battalion comrades. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thievpal memorial to the missing on the Somme.
Following Charles’s death pension records show his wife Angelina Elizabeth Box living in Dumbleton with 3 children, William George, Arthur Charles (4) and Gladys (1). They received a pension of 20/6 a week paid from 22/01/17. Angelina died in 1968 aged 82 in Surrey (St. John the Baptist church). Her address was 76 Inkerman Road, Knaphill.
Following Charles’s death, the Army record of soldiers’ effects lists two amounts of £2 17s 5d & £6 10s that were paid to his wife Angelina in November 1916 and September 1919 respectively. The first payment would likely have been the remains of Charles’s army pay and the second a war gratuity paid out to soldiers and their dependants.
Charles’s service in 1915 entitled him to the 1914-1915 Star as well as the Victory and British War medals.
Charles Box is commemorated on the Alderton and Sedgeberrow War memorials, and the Thiepval memorial on the Somme, France.
* For an excellent study of the 10th Gloucester’s formation, training and action at Loos see “In the Shadow of Lone Tree “by Nick Christian.
