LETTER: Search for photo of our relative

In this year of Commemoration I am wondering if any of your readers can help me.
By The Newsroom
Published 7th Dec 2014, 06:00 BST
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My grandmother’s brother Private Charles Edwards is on the War Memorials of both Pulborough Church and Coates Chapel, Fittleworth. He died on 31st July 1917 as a result of wounds and is buried at Lijssenhoek Military Cemetry, Poperinge. Belgium.

Charles was the eldest of eight children and we know the family lived at Blackgate Lane, Pulborough.

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We are searching for photographs of him. We have a picture of the youngest four children, Emily, my grandmother, Harry, Ethel and Bertha. His others siblings were Mary, Elizabeth and Nellie Edwards.

Papers passed to us by a cousin have shown that Charles was awarded a Military Medal in 1916 together with Privates Martin Archibald Humphrey, Francis William Austin, and Lance Corporal Frederick William Yeomans who was awarded a DCM.

The Royal Sussex Regimental Diaries show that ‘When the advance of the 7th Queens was held up by a strong party of the enemy in the back trench these men who formed part of a platoon going out to consolidate the position when captured formed part of a bombing party under L/Cpl Yeomans and with great gallantry bombed up a communication trench and back trench, this action being directly responsible for the capture of about 160 Germans’.

We would be glad to hear from anyone who may be able to help!

Please contact 01403 730143 or [email protected]

BOB LAKER

Woodfield, Southwater