Name
Charles Alfred Viney
1898
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
28/03/1918
19
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
73605
Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment)
15th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
POZIERES MEMORIAL
Panel 52 to 54.
France
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
St John the Evangelist Church Memorial, Boxmoor,
Hemel Hempstead Town Memorial
Pre War
Charles Alfred Viney was born in 1898 in Boxmoor, Hemel Hempstead, the son of Alfred and Lilian Viney and baptised on 15 January 1899 at St John the Evangelist Church, Boxmoor. He was one of three children.
On the 1901 Census, the family were living at 70 Marlowes, Boxmoor, Hemel Hempstead, with his widowed grandmother, Emma Viney, who ran a newsagent and post office . His father was working as printer-compositor (at John Dickinson & Co) and his mother helped out in the shop. They remained at the same address in 1911 and Charles was a 12 year old schoolboy.
When he left school in November 1911 he joined his grandmother and mother working in the newsagents as an 'Assistant' and he remained there until enlistment.
Recorded as born in Hemel Hempstead and living there when he enlisted in Watford.
Wartime Service
Charles was too young to enlist at the outbreak of war, but he enlisted in Watford, Herts on 4 October 1916 and was posted to the Training Reserve Battalion.
He was mobilised on 20 February 1917, passed as fit for military service and posted to Maidstone, Kent and the 26th Training Reserve Battalion. He was sent overseas on 31 October 1917 and transferred to the 15th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment)., which he joined on 9th November at Elverdinghe near Ypres.
Charles' initial experience of war was relatively quiet to begin with but this changed the following year in March 1918 when the Battalion were ordered to move to Maricourt, south of Bapaume in France to support the next allied offensive of the Battle of the Somme.
On 24 March the Sherwood Foresters took up positions to resist advancing German troops and were persistently shelled, having to withdraw to safer positions on two occasions. When they were ordered to withdraw on 26 March, total casualties were recorded as 12 officers and 458 other ranks.
Charles was reported as missing at some point and his death was presumed on 28 March 1918, aged 19. He has no known grave and his name is commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial, France.
Additional Information
His father received a war gratuity of £6 and pay owing of £11 14s 9d. His mother received a pension of £1 1s a week.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild, www.greatwarforum.org., www.hemelheroes.com., www.dacorumheritage.org.uk
