pwenlock Posted 24 November , 2007 Share Posted 24 November , 2007 19685 Pte Albert Challis was born in Woolton Hill is commemorated by a plaque on the entrance arch to the old Battle Hospital in Reading. The inscription reads "Erected by his fellow officers to the memory of No 19685 Pte A Challis, 2nd Bn Royal Berkshire Regiment, killed in action on November 15, 1916. I've been unsuccessful in finding out why the officers of the 2nd Bn would raise a personal memorial to him, particularly as he was serving with the 1st Bn at the Battle of Ancre, two days before the end of the First Battle of the Somme at the time of his death and the date of the plaque is uncertain. Can any forum members shed some light on this. Regards OY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coldstreamer Posted 24 November , 2007 Share Posted 24 November , 2007 odd, "fellow officers" would imply he was one as well - unless he was a police officer ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelPack Posted 24 November , 2007 Share Posted 24 November , 2007 OY Is the clue in the inscription? "Erected by his fellow officers to the memory of No 19685 Pte A Challis..... The comemmoration appears to be by non military officers ....... ambualance officers? Salvation Army? etc Regards Mel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coldstreamer Posted 24 November , 2007 Share Posted 24 November , 2007 great minds think alike eh ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelPack Posted 24 November , 2007 Share Posted 24 November , 2007 snap Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsu Posted 18 September , 2016 Share Posted 18 September , 2016 Resurrecting this thread as I found myself in Reading this weekend and the memorial plaque is now a Pokestop (of all things) and my curiosity was piqued, According to the 1911 census, Albert Challis Pte 19685 was born in 1881 in East Woodhay Hampshire and was living at 42 Donnington Road, Reading. Donnington Road is very close to Battle Hospital. His occupation was given as 'Electric Car Conductor' for Reading Corporation. His wife, Elizabeth was born a year after him and they had been married for six years and had no children. I'm trying now to see, given those facts, if there's anything else I can find out about him. It seems sad that a man's memorial is now only a Pokestop and he has been all but forgotten. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonraker Posted 18 September , 2016 Share Posted 18 September , 2016 (edited) I've checked the indices of the two volumes of Reading in the Great War by David Bilton, but no Challis is listed. The author diligently trawled through wartime local newspapers and perhaps would have related any particularly interesting background information. But it could well be that the memorial was erected after the war. I wonder if there's anything relevant in the regimental history or Challis's service record? And why was the plaque erected where it was? Challis died and is buried in France (presumably - CWGC says only that he is named on the Thiepval Memorial), so has no apparent connection with Battle Hospital.However, Brock Barracks is four hundred yards or so up the road ... Moonraker Edited 18 September , 2016 by Moonraker afterthought Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knotty Posted 18 September , 2016 Share Posted 18 September , 2016 The Regimental museum (The Wardrobe)has a copy of a photo showing the unveiling of the plaque which is dated Nov 1916, strange as that was the month he was reported killed in action. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonraker Posted 18 September , 2016 Share Posted 18 September , 2016 Odder and odder. Challis died on the 15th, so two weeks to have a plaque planned and prepared and an unveiling ceremony arranged is fast work. Unless the date on the photo misleadingly relates to when Challis died? Moonraker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knotty Posted 18 September , 2016 Share Posted 18 September , 2016 That's how I have interpreted it to be Moonraker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsu Posted 18 September , 2016 Share Posted 18 September , 2016 Another snippet. His wife, Elizabeth, died in Reading in 1913 aged just 32. Being as they lived close to Battle Hospital, I wonder if she died there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaySearching Posted 18 September , 2016 Share Posted 18 September , 2016 Just now, Tsu said: Another snippet. His wife, Elizabeth, died in Reading in 1913 aged just 32. Being as they lived close to Battle Hospital, I wonder if she died there? That explains why his sister Maud became the legatee of his effects Regards Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsu Posted 18 September , 2016 Share Posted 18 September , 2016 Every single name has a story, don't they? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaySearching Posted 18 September , 2016 Share Posted 18 September , 2016 Working on the premise that Albert Challis could have been a former police officer (He could have joined the Police force after the 1911 census was taken) Four former Reading police officers perished during the great war Albert Challis is not listed among them Regards Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonraker Posted 19 September , 2016 Share Posted 19 September , 2016 Perhaps he was a part-time fire officer? (Did they have such in the 1910s?) I've tried Googling to see if there was a fire station near to Battle Hospital, but have had no luck. Or perhaps an officer of a friendly society? (Being an "Electric Car Conductor" would hardly merit being called an "officer".) Moonraker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsu Posted 19 September , 2016 Share Posted 19 September , 2016 His father, John and step mother Keziah lived at 72 Amity Road, Reading in 1911. He was a coal merchant. No clues there, either. They appear to have moved up from Hampshire after the death of his wife (Albert's mother) as in 1901 they were in Woodhay. Only two children,. Albert and Maude. I can't find a marriage for Maude and after WW1 there was a distinct shortage of marriageable men. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsu Posted 19 September , 2016 Share Posted 19 September , 2016 My sister had an idea. What if he was an Officer of the Parish. The heading of the plaque does say 'Parish of Reading'... Perhaps a Churchwarden or something. Did Battle Hospital have an on-site chapel or church? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaySearching Posted 19 September , 2016 Share Posted 19 September , 2016 Battle Union Workhouse On March 1st 1915,the war office requisitioned the Battle Union Workhouse at Reading for use by the military authorities All the inmates were transferred to other workhouses in the area and the infirmary patients moved to Grovesland school nearby Within six weeks the workhouse was transformed into Reading Number one War Hospital During the war years the hospital could accommodate up to 2,500 patients at a time The premises were handed back in 1920 and renamed as Battle Infirmary I conclude that Albert Challis was most likely to have been a workhouse officer in Battle Union Workhouse prior to enlisting The majority of the former workhouse staff having been kept on after the premises were converted into a war hospital Hence the plaque erected by his previous fellow workhouse officers at the entrance to the hospital Regards Ray Link to the unveiling of the plaque No date given Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonraker Posted 19 September , 2016 Share Posted 19 September , 2016 Very plausible, Ray. The absence of military personnel in the unveiling photograph indeed suggests that Albert was a civilian officer. With Brock Barracks being just down the road, one might think that the Berkshire Regiment would have been represented. Pity we do not have a date for the unveiling. It would encourage one of us to check the local newspapers for any coverage. Moonraker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knotty Posted 19 September , 2016 Share Posted 19 September , 2016 So Ray, what you are saying is that he gave up his employment as shown in the 1911 census as being an Electric Car Conductor for Reading Corporation to become an officer in the workhouse. How long would it take to achieve said position? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaySearching Posted 19 September , 2016 Share Posted 19 September , 2016 2 minutes ago, Knotty said: So Ray, what you are saying is that he gave up his employment as shown in the 1911 census as being an Electric Car Conductor for Reading Corporation to become an officer in the workhouse. How long would it take to achieve said position? Knotty The answer to your first question is Yes I don't think any great skills were required to become a workhouse officer He just applied for the job Unless of course you can come up with an alternative explanation Happy to be proved wrong in the interest of research Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonraker Posted 19 September , 2016 Share Posted 19 September , 2016 Being a civilian officer does not necessarily mean high status. ("Clerical officer" in the Civil Service is the lowest grade but one, above Clerical Assistant.) Definition 2 Albert could have been a modest functionary. Moonraker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knotty Posted 19 September , 2016 Share Posted 19 September , 2016 A quick look around Ancestry, gives his residence, presumably on enlisting, as Chelsea in the County of Middlesex. I'm liking the intrigue in this conundrum John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaySearching Posted 19 September , 2016 Share Posted 19 September , 2016 Enlisted Reading The place residence on soldiers died, is more often than not the last known listed address of his next of kin which may or not also have been the location that the soldier resided Regards Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryBrook Posted 19 September , 2016 Share Posted 19 September , 2016 An Albert Challis, of Prospect Park [Reading] was included in a list of recruits published in The Reading Mercury of 27 November 1915. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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