Name
Charles Edward Radford (Townsend)
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
15/10/1916
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
2754
Hertfordshire Regiment
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ST. SEVER CEMETERY, ROUEN
B. 14. 9.
France
Headstone Inscription
THE GOLDEN GATES WERE OPEN AND A GENTLE VOICE SAID COME FROM FATHER AND MOTHER R.I.P.
UK & Other Memorials
All Saints Church Memorial, St Paul's Walden, Whitwell Village Memorial, Not on the Hitchin memorials
Pre War
Charles Edward Radford (Townsend) - he served as Radford.
Some of the information found so far is contradictory and therefore
Ther CWGC records that Charles served as ‘RADFORD’ and that he was the son of Mrs. E. J. Isitt (formerly Townsend), of 9, Langley Rd., Luton, Beds. – this address would have been a later address probably given after his death,
We have reasonable confidence that the 1911 census record found for Charles is correct and this records the family were living at 76 Chapel Street, Luton, Beds. Present were Alfred Radford (37) – working as a general clothing dealer, and Jane Radford (30). Also present was Charles Townsend Radford (13) and for him ‘Radford’ appears to have been added in a different hand. The census recorded that Alfred and Jane had been married for 4 years with 2 children, of whom 1 had died. It is not clear whether Charles was a son to both. Suggesting perhaps that Charles was born out of wedlock to Eliza Jane Townsend. The birth locations recorded are Alfred – Lenton, Nottinghamshire, Jane - Addington, Northamptonshire and Charles - Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire, however according to the Soldiers Died In The Great War (SDITGW) database he was born in and Hitchin, Herts.
There is also a record for an Eliza Jane Townsend marrying George Alfred Isitt in Luton in 1908. Obviously this information assumes that Alfred was ‘George Alfred Radford and that Jane was Eliza Jane Radford in the 1911 census. That would mean marriage was incorrectly recorded as 4 years, yet for 1908 is should have been 3 years, yet the information given for Charles seems to confirm the census is for the right people.
Why the surname ‘Radford’ was used in 1911 and Isitt at the marriage in 1908
is difficult to explain, yet it appears to be correct - a George A Islitt, born in Lenton was found in the 1881, 1891 and the 1921 census. In the latter he was living with Eliza Jane Isitt at 9 Langley Road, Luton. Also in the 1939 register they were still together, living in Luton, but now recorded as George A Isitt-Radford and Eliza J Isitt-Radford.
According to a local newspaper report Charles worked as a gardener for Viscount Hampden (at Kimpton Hoo) for two and half years before enlisting, although Soldiers Died In The Great War (SDITGW) suggests he was living at Faversham, Kent.
The (SDITGW) database records that he was born in Hitchin and was living in Faversham, Kent when he enlisted in Hertford. Frankly a connection to Hitchin seems spurious and it is perhaps more likely that Hitchin was recorded in the information, used by SDITGW, simply because it was the nearest large town to Kimpton.
We would welcome any information at all which who clarify any direct connection to Hitchin for Charles.
Wartime Service
Charles enlisted in Hertford as Private 2754 probably in September 1914 (2709 was issued on 5 Sep and 3697 in Nov 1914) and joined the 1st Battalion, Hertfordshire Regiment. He possibly used the name Radford as an ‘Alias’. No Service Record was found for Charles. He went to France with the Battalion on 6 November 1914, and probably took part in the Battles of Ypres (1914), Festubert & Loos (1915).
Charles was wounded in the back of his head, probably during the Battle of Ancre Heights (Battle of the Somme), where on 14 Oct 1916 the Herts sent one platoon as reinforcement to Black Watch and Cambridgeshires to assist in the attack on the remainder of the Schwaben Redoubt. They were also being shelled heavily during this period. Charles died of his wounds on 15 Oct 1916. He is buried in St Sever Cemetery, France.
Additional Information
His mother (Eliza Isitt) received a war gratuity of £9 and pay owing of £6 8s 11d. She ordered his headstone inscription while living at 9 Langley Road, Luton, Beds. it reads: "THE GOLDEN GATES WERE OPEN AND A GENTLE VOICE SAID COME FROM FATHER AND MOTHER R.I.P.".
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer, Neil Cooper
Jonty Wild, livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk
