Charles Cavell

Charles Cavell was born on 21/06/1898 in Bowling Green, Bradford, the son of Ernest and Mary Cavell.

In 1916 he was living with his parents at 10 Middleton Terrace, Leeds, and working as a Junior Clerk. Conscription began in March 1916 and when Charles received his call-up papers he went to a recruiting office in Leeds and attested for military service, this was 2 days after his 18th birthday.

Charles was placed in the army reserve for 7 months. The delay may have been because he was doing war work - working as an assistant storekeeper at the Barnbow National Filling Factory at Crossgates in Leeds. This munitions factory was officially known as National Filling Factory No 1 and is infamous for the large explosion in December 1916 which killed 35 women and injured many more.

Charles Cavell was mobilized on 23/02/1917 and posted, with the rank of Private, to the 1st Garrison Battalion of the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry with the regimental number 46279. Charles's service record has survived and his medical report shows that he was 5 feet 3 1/2 inches tall, weighed 108 lbs and had a chest measurement of 34 inches. Charles was placed in medical category B1 due to his poor vision. The army vaccinated him and supplied him with glasses.

Charles underwent training in the UK until November 1917. His record shows he forfeited 7 days pay for 'overstaying his pass from tattoo until 10:20pm' on 1/10/1917. On 14/11/1917 he was transferred to the 1st Garrison Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment with the regimental number 46279, he joined his new regiment in Malta.

Malta was not a theatre of war and Charles served there, apparently uneventfully, except for when he was caught breaking out of barracks on 10/6/1919 and was deprived 2 days pay and confined to barracks for 10 days. until the end of the war when he was 'compulsorily detained in army of occupation' until 14/11/1919 when he embarked for home and on 28/12/1919 he was transferred to Class "Z" Army Reserve and demobilized. He returned to his parents' address at 10 Middleton Terrace.

As he hadn't served in a theatre of war, Charles received only the British War Medal.

He went on to marry Polly Gell and in 1939 they lived at Stainmore Place, Leeds, a few doors down from Charles' brother Ernest (my great-grandfather) they had four sons and Charles died in 1977.