Gunner Charles Ormerod - 1st Bty, 45th Bde, Royal Field Artillery

[Paul Ormerod]

Remembering Charles Henry Ormerod - Gunner 79785 -1st Bty, 45th Bde, Royal Field Artillery - who was killed in action on 10 November 1916, and is commemorated on a special memorial in the Guards Cemetery, Lesboeufs, France.

Charles was the son of Mary Jane Ormerod, and at the time of the 1911 Census was living with his mother at 3 Webb Street, Hindley, Wigan, and employed as a colliery cart weigher.

The Soldiers Died in the Great War Database records that Charles was born in Hindley, Lancashire, and enlisted in the Army in Wigan.

 

At the time of his death, 45th R.F.A. Brigade was attached to 8th Division of the British Army, and in November 1916 was involved in the closing stages of the Battle of the Somme.

The Brigade War Diary for 10 November 1916 records:

"GINCHY - LES BOEUFS

Nov 10th

Fine day

Quiet morning

Battery positions shelled all the afternoon, very heavily.

Casualties - 1st Bty - OC - Major Rich, wounded - left arm broken and piece in jaw

                   1 Sgt + 4 gunners killed - 1 gnr wounded

                   3rd Bty - 2 Lt Underwood killed - 1 gunner killed - 1 wounded

                   57th Bty - 2 gunners killed 3 wounded

    Five guns our of action

Rounds fired by Brigade 1244 rounds"

 

[spyinthesky2]

I placed a poppy on each of 1st Bty's war graves a few years ago including the memorial at Guards Cemetery.

RIP Charles