Geburtsdatum: 04/09/1898

Geburtsort: Elcot, Berkshire, England, Vereinigtes Königreich

Beruf: Arbeiter

Land: England, Vereinigtes Königreich

Truppe: British Expeditionary Force

Rang: Private

Dienstnummer: 203846

Einberufung ort: Newbury, Berkshire, England, Vereinigtes Königreich

Einheiten:  —  Princess Charlotte of Wales’s (Royal Berkshire Regiment), 1/4th Bn.  (Letzte bekannte Einheit)

Sterbedatum: 16/08/1917

Sterbeort: St Julien, Belgien

Todesursache: Im Kampf gefallen

Alter: 18

British War Medal Medaille — 15/10/1920

Victory Medal Medaille — 15/10/1920

Charles Francis Quarterman was born in 1898 and was the second son of Leonard and Elizabeth Quarterman, of Peasemore, Berkshire. Before the war, Charles worked as a labourer in Farnborough. He enlisted in Newbury, following his older brother Albert, who already served in the army. By the summer of 1917 Charles served as a Private in the 1/4th Batalion Royal Berkshire Regiment, part of the 145th Brigade, of the 48th (South Midland) Division.

The 48th Division’s first action in Flanders was the Battle of Langemarck, a stage in the Battle of Passchendaele. On 16 August 1917 it attacked near the village of Sint-Juliaan, with the 145th Brigade. The 1/4th Berkshires were in reserve and were designated to move to the final objective. When the assaulting Battalions moved towards the Langemarck road, the Companies of the 1/4th Berkshires followed them, supporting their attack wherever they could.

Overall the attack of the 48th Division was an utter failure. It faced a well defended network of three consecutive positions, protected by intermediate strongpoints. With almost no artillery support and the absence of tanks, the men made little headway. They could only make a dent in the German positions along the Langemarck road, around Springfield Farm, but were soon forced back. The Companies of the 1/4th Berkshires were in support of the assaulting Battalions and because the attack didn’t develop as planned, they did not need to advance to their objective. Remaining stationary for the most part of the attack, the Battalion was frequently shelled by the German artillery, suffering severe casualties.

Private Charles Francis Quarterman was killed in action on 16 August 1917 during the attack at Sint-Juliaan. He fell three weeks before his 19th birthday. Charles’ remains were never found or weren’t identified and he is remembered at the Tyne Cot Memorial.

145 Infantry Brigade: 1/4 Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment (Princess Charlotte's), (The National Archives, KEW (TNA), WO 95/2762/4). https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14303 Weitere Quellen

Cruttwell C., The War Service of the 1/4 Royal Berkshire Regiment (T.F.), (Oxford, Basil Blackwell, 1922), pg. 120-126. Verwendete Quellen

McCarthy C., Passchendaele. The Day-by-Day Account, (London, Uniform, 2018), pg. 54-55. Verwendete Quellen

Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/830053

Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=1aeadf3f-ca8c-4a6e-8bf8-434ef8279eae

Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/3629634