Name
Charles William Johnson
1892
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
17/02/1917
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
36365
Royal Berkshire Regiment
6th Bn
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
REGINA TRENCH CEMETERY, GRANDCOURT
VII. C. 23.
France
Headstone Inscription
None
UK & Other Memorials
Hemel Hempstead Town Memorial,
St Mary's Church Memorial, Hemel Hempstead,
John Dickinson & Co Memorial, Apsley Mills, Apsley,
Not listed on the Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford
Pre War
Charles William Johnson was born in Mill Hill, near Hendon in Middlesex in 1892, the eldest child of William and Caroline Johnson, and one of four children. At the time of his birth they were living at 2 Highwood Cottages in Mill Hill and his father was working as a Carter at a farm nearby.
By the 1911 Census the family were living at The Firs, 2 Adeyfield Terrace in Hemel Hempstead. Charles was then working as Farm Labourer, but before the outbreak of war he went to work for John Dickinson & Co at Apsley Mills.
Wartime Service
Charles enlisted in Hemel Hempstead in September 1915 and joined the Hertfordshire Regiment. He was embodied the following month and posted to the 1st Battalion.
He was probably sent to France after about six months of basic training and was transferred to the 6th Battalion, Princess Charlotte's (Royal Berkshire) Regiment.
In February 1917 the Battalion were in the area of the Regina Trench, near Baupame. At 5.40 am on 17th February they were involved in an attack and despite the darkness and heavy German barrage, their objectives were reached, however, Charles was one of 20 men killed during the operation, aged 25.
He is buried in Regina Trench Cemetery, France, having originally been buried elsewhere in a battlefield cemetery near where he died, and exhumed and reburied ('concentrated') at the end of the war .
Additional Information
His mother received a war gratuity of £5 10s and his father received pay owing of £4 4s 11d. His mother also received a pension of 5s a week.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild, www.hemelheroes.com., www.hemelatwar.org., www.dacorumheritage.org.uk.
