Pte
Charles Langton Binch
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 20/05/1896 |
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Place of birth: Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America |
General information
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Last known residence: Deslisle, Saskatchewan, Canada |
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Profession: Farmer |
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Religion: Church of England |
Army information
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Country: Canada |
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Force: Canadian Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Private |
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Service number: 255184 |
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Enlistment date: 19/06/1916 |
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Enlistment place: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada |
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Units: — Canadian Mounted Rifles, 1st Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 24/10/1917 |
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Place of death: Schuler Farm - Artilleriegehoft, Langemark, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 21 |
Memorial
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Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial Panel: 32 |
Points of interest 4
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Last known residence | ||
| #3 | Enlistment place | ||
| #4 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Charles Langton Binch was born on 20 May 1896 in Boston to Charles Samuel and Christine Binch. He worked as a farmer. On 16 June 1916 Charles enlisted at Saskatoon. He was attached to the Canadian Mounted Rifles, 1st Battalion. In October 1917 his battalion was engaged near Passchendaele.
The Battle of Passchendaele had been going on since the 31th of July, , but it would take until the autumn of 1917 for any real progress could be made. The Battles of Menin Road and Polygon Wood (20-26 September), followed by the Battle of Broodseinde (4 October) and the Battle of Poelcapelle (9 October) took a heavy toll. But time was in the defenders' favour. Winter was approaching. When the Canadians arrived, the weather had deteriorated. On the night of 23-24 October, the 1st Mounted Rifles moved up and relieved the 1st Auckland Battalion in the front line near Wolf Farm and Peter Pan, where they faced heavy shelling. During the night, the 1st Mounted Rifles went back in support and were replaced in the front line by the 4th Mounted Rifles. On 26 October, the 4th Mounted Rifles, with the 1st Mounted Rifles in support, had to advance through Wolf Copse, the only strip of dry ground that gave access to the big German pillboxes at Bellevue, immediately west of Passchendaele.
On 24 October 1917, the 1st Mounted Rifles suffered 13 casualties. Lieutenant Einarson and Privates Joseph Adeline and Charles Binch were killed, 10 men were wounded, two of whom would die of their wounds the same day. Charles, aged 21, was buried at Schuler Farm, south-west of Passchendaele (28.D.13.A.9.8.). He has no known grave to date and is commemorated at the Menin Gate.
The Battle of Passchendaele had been going on since the 31th of July, , but it would take until the autumn of 1917 for any real progress could be made. The Battles of Menin Road and Polygon Wood (20-26 September), followed by the Battle of Broodseinde (4 October) and the Battle of Poelcapelle (9 October) took a heavy toll. But time was in the defenders' favour. Winter was approaching. When the Canadians arrived, the weather had deteriorated. On the night of 23-24 October, the 1st Mounted Rifles moved up and relieved the 1st Auckland Battalion in the front line near Wolf Farm and Peter Pan, where they faced heavy shelling. During the night, the 1st Mounted Rifles went back in support and were replaced in the front line by the 4th Mounted Rifles. On 26 October, the 4th Mounted Rifles, with the 1st Mounted Rifles in support, had to advance through Wolf Copse, the only strip of dry ground that gave access to the big German pillboxes at Bellevue, immediately west of Passchendaele.
On 24 October 1917, the 1st Mounted Rifles suffered 13 casualties. Lieutenant Einarson and Privates Joseph Adeline and Charles Binch were killed, 10 men were wounded, two of whom would die of their wounds the same day. Charles, aged 21, was buried at Schuler Farm, south-west of Passchendaele (28.D.13.A.9.8.). He has no known grave to date and is commemorated at the Menin Gate.
Sources 4
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Census of Canada, 1911 ( Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa (LAC), RG31-C-1). https://library-archives.canada.ca/ Sources used |
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Personnel Records of the First World War (Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa (LAC), RG 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 733 - 52). https://library-archives.canada.ca/ Sources used |
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War diaries: 1st Pioneer Battalion (Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa (LAC), RG9-III-D-3, Volume number: 4946, Microfilm reel number: T-10754--T-10755, File number: 464). https://library-archives.canada.ca/ Sources used |
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War Graves Registers: Circumstances of Death (Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa (LAC), RG150, 1992-1993/314, Box 39-244; Box: 46). https://library-archives.canada.ca/ Sources used |
More information 4
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/922191 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=b6f2ff3f-c9da-43e3-a6e4-42abeecdd162 |
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The Canadian Virtual War Memorial https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/922191 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/5578029 |