Name
Cecil James Andrews
12/02/1891
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
10/09/1918
27
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
45311
South Staffordshire Regiment
4th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
TERLINCTHUN BRITISH CEMETERY, WIMILLE
XVI. F. 15.
France
Headstone Inscription
He has no family inscription on his Headstone.
UK & Other Memorials
Borehamwood Town Memorial, All Saints Church Memorial, Borehamwood, St. Stephens Church Oak Panel, West Bowling, Bradford
Pre War
Cecil James Andrews was born on 12 February 1891, in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, son of John Andrews, a Railway Plate Layer for the Midland Railway Company, and Clara (nee Martindale) Andrews. He was one of nine children.
1891 Census records Cecil as James, 7 weeks old, living with his parents, four brothers and three sisters in Borehamwood, Herts.
1901 Census records Cecil aged 10, Living with his parents, and three brother, Frederick (15), Albert (13), and George (9), at Station Cottage, Borehamwood, Herts.
1911 Census finds Cecil aged 20, single, and working as a Floor-Porter, at the Midland Hotel, Forster Square and Cheapside, Bradford, Yorks.
Cecil married Ivy Evelyn Colburn, the daughter of John and Elizabeth Colburn of Bradford, on 17 August 1913, at St. John’s Church, Bradford, Yorks. They went on to have two son’s John Henry Andrews born in 1915 and Charles Norman Andrews born 1916.
Wartime Service
Cecil enlisted at Bradford, Yorks, it is believed he was initially posted to the Royal Army Service Corps, with the service number T/308316. Later transferred to the South Staffordshire Regiment with the service number 45311.
While serving on the Western Front he was taken a prisoner of war (POW) on 11 April 1918, in the Messines area. He died while a POW in Charleville, France. His accepted date of death is 10 September 1918.
Charleville fell to the Germans in September 1914, and was occupied throughout the war, it became the site of the Supreme German Headquarters.
Prisoners who died in Charleville Hospital were buried in the towns cemetery (as was Cecil). Cecil’s body was exhumed and reburied in the CWGC Terlincthun British Cemetery, Wimille, France, on 11 December 1962.
Additional Information
Ivy received a widow’s pension of £2-4s-2d, at week for herself and the two children, and his effects of £21-6s-2d, which included his War Gratuity of £8.
Acknowledgments
Taff Williams, Stuart Osborne
Jonty Wild, Taff Williams,
