Name
Charles Colhoun Chambers (MC)
21/06/1890
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
10/07/1916
27
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Captain
Royal Garrison Artillery
12th Siege Bty.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Military Cross
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
QUARRY CEMETERY, MONTAUBAN
III. L. 8.
France
Headstone Inscription
ALSO IN MEMORY OF HIS BROTHER H.M. CHAMBERS 23RD R.F. KILLED AT IRLES MARCH 10TH 1917
UK & Other Memorials
Kings Langley Village Memorial, All Saints Church Memorial, Kings Langley, Chambers Memorial Window, All Saints Church, Kings Langley, Langleybury Village Memorial, Hunton Bridge, Berkhamsted Collegiate School Memorial, Not on the Berkhamsted War Memorial
Pre War
Charles Colhoun Chambers was born on 21 June 1889, in Montreux, Switzerland, (a British Subject), son of Col. Charles Patton Chambers (1836–1927) a retired Infantry Colonel and Henrietta Caroline Chambers (1834–1916) (nee Maunsell-Eyre). He was the youngest of four children, Caroline (b.1872), Mary (b.1878) and Henry (b.1888).
The 1891 Census records Charles aged 1, living with his parents and three siblings in Leeds Street, Sandown, Isle of Wight, Hampshire. The family had three live-in domestic servants, a nurse, cook, and housekeeper. By 1901 Charles and the family had moved to Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire and were living at “Manor Villa”, Manor Street, Berkhamsted, with two live-in domestic servants.
Charles attended Berkhamsted Collegiate School, leaving in 1907 and by the 1911 census he was recorded as a Lieutenant, single, aged 21, serving with the Royal Garrison Artillery and stationed at The Shoebury Garrison in Essex. He was sent to Hong Kong later in 1911 where he passed the examination as an interpreter in Cantonese.
His parents later lived at Zoffany House, Kings Langley and his mother died in November 1916.
Wartime Service
In 1911 he was recorded as a Lieutenant, aged 21 serving with the Royal Garrison Artillery and he was sent to France on 14 March 1915. By the time of his death he had been promoted to Captain in the 12th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery.
He was awarded the Military Cross for exemplary act(s) of bravery (no details have been found so far regarding this award).
Charles was killed in action on 10 July 1916, aged 27, during the Battle of the Somme, and is buried in Quarry Cemetery, Montauban, Somme, France.
Additional Information
His father received a war gratuity of £57 and pay owing of £2 14s 4d. He also obtained probate of his estate in London on 4 September 1916 with effects of £880 13s.
Brother to Henry Maunsell Chambers who died in 1917, has no known grave and is named on the Thiepval Memorial, France. Charles's headstone in Quarry Cemetery, also carries an inscription to his brother Lance Corporal SPTS/631, Henry Maunsell Chambers which reads "ALSO IN MEMORY OF HIS BROTHER H.M. CHAMBERS 23RD R.F. KILLED AT IRLES MARCH 10TH 1917".
Acknowledgments
Stuart Osborne, Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild
