Pte
Levi Charman
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 07/09/1892 |
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Place of birth: Fowey, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom |
General information
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Profession: Butcher |
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Religion: Church of England |
Army information
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Country: England, United Kingdom |
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Force: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Private |
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Service number: 622106 |
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Enlistment date: 23/12/1914 |
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Enlistment place: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada |
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Units: — Canadian Infantry, 52nd Bn. (North Ontario) (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 27/10/1917 |
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Place of death: Bellevue, Passchendaele, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 25 |
Memorial
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Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial Panel: 30 |
Distinctions and medals 2
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British War Medal Medal |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 3
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place | ||
| #3 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Levi Charman was a 25-year-old butcher from Cornwall, Fowly. In 1913 he immigrated to Canada. On the 23rd of December 1914 he enlisted as a private at Winnipeg and joined the 52nd Canadian Infantry Battalion, part of the 9th Canadian Brigade, 3rd Canadian Division. In the summer of 1916 Levi was wounded by a shell and sent back to England. There he would marry Bella Seager on April 1st, 1917.
On 25 October 1917 the 3rd Canadian Division prepared an attack on the Bellevue Spur near Passchendaele. Two companies of the 52nd Canadian Infantry Battalion, namely “C” and “D” company were in close support of the 43rd and 58th battalions C.E.F. “C” company took up position behind the brick fields near Waterloo and “D” company positioned itself between Berlin Wood and Berlin. “A” and “B” company were in reserve at Abraham Heights.
The attack began at 5.40 a.m. on 26 October. The companies that went up with the 43rd and 58th Canadian Infantry battalions were able to advance and clear pillboxes at Bellvue. At 8:30 a.m. they had to fall back under heavy artillery fire, but were able to keep a foothold on the ridge. In the afternoon the rest of the 52nd Canadian Infantry Battalion finished clearing the positions at Bellevue and Laamkeek. At night the lines were consolidated.
On the 27th the new lines of 58th Canadian Infantry Battalion were shelled by the Germans, causing casualties and cutting communication lines. Some men were also hit by a sniper or machine gun fire. On the night of the 27th they were relieved and sent back into support at Abraham Heights. Private Levi Charman was killed in action on 27 October 1917 while holding the line at Bellevue. His body was not recovered after the war and he is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial, Bay 30, Stone N.
On 25 October 1917 the 3rd Canadian Division prepared an attack on the Bellevue Spur near Passchendaele. Two companies of the 52nd Canadian Infantry Battalion, namely “C” and “D” company were in close support of the 43rd and 58th battalions C.E.F. “C” company took up position behind the brick fields near Waterloo and “D” company positioned itself between Berlin Wood and Berlin. “A” and “B” company were in reserve at Abraham Heights.
The attack began at 5.40 a.m. on 26 October. The companies that went up with the 43rd and 58th Canadian Infantry battalions were able to advance and clear pillboxes at Bellvue. At 8:30 a.m. they had to fall back under heavy artillery fire, but were able to keep a foothold on the ridge. In the afternoon the rest of the 52nd Canadian Infantry Battalion finished clearing the positions at Bellevue and Laamkeek. At night the lines were consolidated.
On the 27th the new lines of 58th Canadian Infantry Battalion were shelled by the Germans, causing casualties and cutting communication lines. Some men were also hit by a sniper or machine gun fire. On the night of the 27th they were relieved and sent back into support at Abraham Heights. Private Levi Charman was killed in action on 27 October 1917 while holding the line at Bellevue. His body was not recovered after the war and he is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial, Bay 30, Stone N.
Sources 5
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Ancestry https://www.ancestry.com/ Sources used |
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CWGC https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/922805/l-charman/ Sources used |
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Library and Archives Canada https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/personnel-records/Pages/item.aspx?IdNumber=97238 Sources used |
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Library and Archives Canada (War Diary) https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/Pages/war-diaries.aspx Sources used |
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McCarthy C. "Passchendaele. The Day-by-Day Account" (London, Uniform, 2018). Sources used |