Name
Charles Thornton Rand Gladding
4/03/1896
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
16/03/1917
21
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Lance Sergeant
17175
Grenadier Guards
1st Bn.
Kings Coy.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
GROVE TOWN CEMETERY, MEAULTE
1V C27
France
Headstone Inscription
GOD'S FINGER TOUCHED HIM AND HE SLEPT IN LOVING MEMORY MOTHER.
UK & Other Memorials
Goff's Oak Memorial, Goff's Oak Street Name, Cheshunt Town Memorial
Pre War
Charles Thornton Rand Gladding was born in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, on 4th March 1896, son of William Edward Gladding a, Gun Browner at the Royal Small Arms Factory, Enfield Lock, Middx, and Maud Elizabeth Gladding (nee Rand). The youngest of seven children.
He was Baptized at St James Church, Goff’s Oak, Herts, on the 27th February 1898.
1901 Census records Charles aged 5, living with his parents, four brothers and two sisters in, Burton Road, Goff’s Oak, Cheshunt, Herts.
1911 Census records Charles (15) working as a Garden Nursery hand living with his parents, still in Burton Lane, Goff’s Oak, Cheshunt, Herts. All his siblings had left home.
Wartime Service
Charles enlisted at Ponders End, Middx, posted to the Grenadier Guards with the service number 17175. He served with the Kings Company, 1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards. On completion of his training he landed in France on the 1st May 1915, seeing action on the Western front.
He died on 16th March 1917 of wounds received in action.
Please note that there appear to be transcription errors in the following text, it seem likely that the year should be recorded as 1917 not 1918. There also appears to be a discrepancy in the age recorded here and the CWGC records.
Hertfordshire Mercury 16.3.18 Sergeant C. Gladding, son of Mr. and Mrs. Gladding, Burton Lane, Goffs Oak, is reported to have died of wounds on March 6th. He was only 19 years of age and death was due to his having been struck by a shell which severely injured him in both legs. His right arm was also shattered. Sergeant Gladding, who was attached to The Kings Regiment of Guards, joined up 4 days after the outbreak of war and after training in various camps went to France on 1st May 1915. He was just expecting home leave when he was severely wounded. His parents have received sympathetic letters from his officers stating that he held an excellent character and was a most efficient soldier.
Additional Information
Mrs. Gladding, Burton Lane, Goff's Oak, Cheshunt, Herts. ordered his headstone inscription: "GOD'S FINGER TOUCHED HIM AND HE SLEPT IN LOVING MEMORY MOTHER".
His mother Maud received a Dependents Pension of 6/- a week from the 6th November 1918. His effects of £29-1s-3d, Pay Owing and his War gratuity of £16, went to his father Willaim.
In June 1997 Broxbourne Borough Council received a suggestion from the Chairman of Goffs Oak Community Association to name roads to commemorate the men who lost their lives in the two world wars who are displayed on the Goffs Oak War Memorial. It was decided that these names should be used for the large development in Hammond Street Road, this soldier has one of the surnames chosen: "Gladding Road" – the reason for the names selected (as opposed to others) is not known.
Acknowledgments
Stuart Osborne
Brian Lodge, Cheshunt Mercury/Archives County Hall.
