Private CHARLES BENJAMIN GATHERCOLE
Service Number 29499
Died 30/08/1918
Aged 21
1st Bn. Royal Warwickshire Regiment
Son of George and Alice Maude Gathercole, of Toll Bar Cottages, Hartford, Northwich, Cheshire.
Remembered with Honour, Vis-En-Artois British Cemetery, Haucourt
He is commemorated on the Brunner Mond War Memorial at Winnington.
The following is a transcript from the “Northwich Guardian”
Private C. Gathercole , Toll Bar cottage, Hartford
A few weeks ago it was announced in the Guardian that Private C. Gathercole, whose home was at Toll Bar Cottages, Hartford, had been killed in action. The news reached his parents in a letter from a comrade who stated that the deceased met his death on August 29th. In order to gain further information his parents wrote to the chaplain of their sons regiment, and have received the following reply: –
“I am told your son was killed on August 30th fighting gallantly in what may prove to be some of the most important fighting of the war. Up to the present no details are known as to the place of his burial, but you may rest assured that he is buried in a soldier’s grave”
A letter has also been received by Mr and Mrs Gathercole from the Lieutenant of their son’s platoon. He states:-
“Full enquiries have been made by me into the death of your son, and I find that he was killed instantaneously by a fragment of shell penetrating his skull during an attack by the battalion. It was a very trying action and he was behaving with excellent fortitude. His death is a great loss to the platoon. I have known your son for a long time, and was looked upon by the company commander as one of his smartest men. I always found him an excellent soldier, cheerful in adverse conditions.”
