Capt
Charles Elisha Withey
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 07/09/1890 |
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Place of birth: Porton, Wiltshire, England, United Kingdom |
General information
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Profession: Journalist |
Army information
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Country: England, United Kingdom |
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Force: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Captain |
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Service number: / |
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Units: — King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment), 1/4th Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 20/09/1917 |
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Place of death: Kansas House, Langemark, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 27 |
Memorial
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Tyne Cot Memorial Panel: 18A |
Distinctions and medals 2
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British War Medal Medal |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 2
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Captain Charles Elisha Withey of the 4th Battalion Royal Lancaster Regiment, part of the 164th (North Lancashire) Brigade of the 55th (West Lancashire) Division fought in the Third Battle of Ypres, also known as the Battle of Passchendaele. His known profession before the outbreak of war was a journalist with Reuters in India. His mother was Mary Jane Mayo and his father was James John Withey.
Leading up to the Battle of Passchendaele, Charles Withey was a 2nd Lieutenant in his Battalion. Charles was wounded before November 1916 and returned to the UK. After recuperation, he was sent to the Western Front in February 1917. He was quickly promoted to Lieutenant on the 23rd of March 1917 and then promoted to acting Captain on the 15th of August 1917. As a Captain he was the commanding officer of “A” Company of the 4th Royal Lancasters.
On the 20th of September 1917 the 55th Division was to attack to the southeast of Sint-Juliaan. During the previous night the men of the 1/4th Royal Lancaster Regiment had taken up positions in isolated shell holes West of the line Somme-Hindu Cottages. At zero hour, 5.40 a.m. the first wave, consisting of “B” and “D” Companies advanced behind a creeping barrage towards the German positions at Schuler Galeries and Aisne. Both Companies quickly encountered stiff resistance, especially from the German strongpoints at Schuler Galleries, Aisne Farm, Loos and Gallipoli. Nevertheless the men reached their objective, capturing the stronghold at Aisne. While consolidating their position the men came under sniper fire from Schuler Galleries and from isolated German positions in their back, which hadn’t been mopped up.
After a slight pause in the barrage “A” and “C” Companies continued the advance. Both Companies immediately suffered heavy casualties, due to enfilade fire from German machine-guns on both flanks. Especially the machine-gun fire on the left coming from Schuler Galleries was persistent. As a result of the relentless machine-gun fire the 1/4th King’s Own (Royal Lancs) got intermixed with the 1/4th Loyal North Lancs, who were to continue the attack. A few hundred yards east from Aisne and Loos the advance gradually slowed down. Any attempt to capture the second objective proved neigh to impossible, due to the many German concrete positions, which kept on showering the battlefield with machine-gunfire.
Eventually the intermingled Battalions had to consolidate a line, roughly running from Schuler Farm through Loos towards Gallipoli. The men held this line throughout the day despite heavy German shelling. The battered Royal Lancaster Regiment 1/4th Battalion would remain in the frontlines till they were relieved in the early morning of the 24th of September 1917. After a brief pause, “A” & “C” companies continued with their advance and sustained heavy casualties from enfilade fire.
Captain Charles Elisha Withey was killed on the 20th of September 1917 by a sniper while organizing an assault on a German stronghold near Kansas House on the yellow line. Only six men were left after the attack at Kansas House and the survivors were forced to retreat. Charles was 27 years old.
Leading up to the Battle of Passchendaele, Charles Withey was a 2nd Lieutenant in his Battalion. Charles was wounded before November 1916 and returned to the UK. After recuperation, he was sent to the Western Front in February 1917. He was quickly promoted to Lieutenant on the 23rd of March 1917 and then promoted to acting Captain on the 15th of August 1917. As a Captain he was the commanding officer of “A” Company of the 4th Royal Lancasters.
On the 20th of September 1917 the 55th Division was to attack to the southeast of Sint-Juliaan. During the previous night the men of the 1/4th Royal Lancaster Regiment had taken up positions in isolated shell holes West of the line Somme-Hindu Cottages. At zero hour, 5.40 a.m. the first wave, consisting of “B” and “D” Companies advanced behind a creeping barrage towards the German positions at Schuler Galeries and Aisne. Both Companies quickly encountered stiff resistance, especially from the German strongpoints at Schuler Galleries, Aisne Farm, Loos and Gallipoli. Nevertheless the men reached their objective, capturing the stronghold at Aisne. While consolidating their position the men came under sniper fire from Schuler Galleries and from isolated German positions in their back, which hadn’t been mopped up.
After a slight pause in the barrage “A” and “C” Companies continued the advance. Both Companies immediately suffered heavy casualties, due to enfilade fire from German machine-guns on both flanks. Especially the machine-gun fire on the left coming from Schuler Galleries was persistent. As a result of the relentless machine-gun fire the 1/4th King’s Own (Royal Lancs) got intermixed with the 1/4th Loyal North Lancs, who were to continue the attack. A few hundred yards east from Aisne and Loos the advance gradually slowed down. Any attempt to capture the second objective proved neigh to impossible, due to the many German concrete positions, which kept on showering the battlefield with machine-gunfire.
Eventually the intermingled Battalions had to consolidate a line, roughly running from Schuler Farm through Loos towards Gallipoli. The men held this line throughout the day despite heavy German shelling. The battered Royal Lancaster Regiment 1/4th Battalion would remain in the frontlines till they were relieved in the early morning of the 24th of September 1917. After a brief pause, “A” & “C” companies continued with their advance and sustained heavy casualties from enfilade fire.
Captain Charles Elisha Withey was killed on the 20th of September 1917 by a sniper while organizing an assault on a German stronghold near Kansas House on the yellow line. Only six men were left after the attack at Kansas House and the survivors were forced to retreat. Charles was 27 years old.
Sources 3
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1/4 Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment, (The National Archives, KEW (TNA), WO 95/2805/1). https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14303 Further reference |
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McCarthy C., Passchendaele. The Day-by-Day Account, (London, Uniform, 2018), pg. 84-85. Sources used |
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Shannon K., The Lion and the Rose. The 4th Battalion The King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment 1914-1919, (Stroud, Fonthill, 2015), pg. 159-171. Sources used |
More information 3
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/875528 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=bc4daa19-c918-42d4-91e8-c7d4bf807070 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/4840609 |