65158 Bombardier Charles Edwin Banbrook, RFA
Charles Edwin Banbrook was born in Clerkenwell on 18 July 1891 to Charles Edwin Banbrook (a cab driver) and Mary J Banbrook, née Brathwaite (an envelope folder). By 1901 the family was living at 320 Bartholomew Buildings, [probably Seward Street] in the parish of St Luke's, Clerkenwell, and young Charles was still at school. He first served in the 19th Battalion, County of London Regiment (St Pancras Rifles), having enlisted at Camden Town in July 1908 aged 17 under the regimental number 338. At the time he was a van guard with the London & North Western Railway (until discharged on 24 December 1910 for disobeying Foreman's instructions). He attended his annual training in 1908 through to 1910.
In the 1911 census he was shown as a labourer, living with his mother and stepfather, Daniel (a provender carman also with the London and North Western Railway) at 103 Weedington Road, Kentish Town, about four miles north and west of the family's 1901 address.
Whilst still a Territorial, he enlisted as a Regular in the Royal Field Artillery at London on 4 May 1911, for his "three and nine", receiving the new regimental number 65158. He gave his age as 19 years ten months on enlistment and by now was employed as a Town Carman (carrier), having served two years 276 days in the Territorial Force. His first posting was to No.1 Depot, RFA, followed by a posting to 143rd Battery (presumably part of 43rd (Training) Brigade) and then, following a reorganisation, to 41st Battery in August 1913. Places served included Woolwich and Aldershot and his service was interrupted by suffering a compound fracture of the right tibia and fibula incurred on 5 February 1912 at Aldershot which hospitalised him for over a month, followed by Appendicitis in January to May 1914 which delayed his discharge after the appointed three years of service. He was finally transferred to the Army Reserve on 4 May 1914. His character was given as Very Good and he was described as as a "Good clean hard working & sober man". He had been employed as a waiter in the officer's mess. He was aged just short of twenty-four.
As an Army Reservist he was subject to immediate recall in the event of a general mobilisation and upon the outbreak of war accordingly was mobilised at Hilsea, near Portsmouth (presumably No.3 Depot, RFA) on 5 August and posted to the 49th Battery of the 40th Brigade Royal Field Artillery at Bulford the following day.
His date of entry into the French theatre was 19 August 1914, as a Gunner with 40th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, attached to 3rd Division. The Brigade travelled via Southampton to Le Havre and would have concentrated with the division around Aulnoye and Avesnes, as part of Smith-Dorrien's II Corps.
Gnr Banbrook (as he then was) would have seen action with the 49th Battery at Mons on 23 August 1914, when the battery went into action on the Binche to Mons Road, on the slopes of Bois La Haut. The divisional artillery had the task of supporting the infantry who were holding the line of the Mons-Conde Canal, and in particular the bridges at Ghlin and Nimy. 49th Battery was firing north and north-east and engaging targets on the German 17th Division's line of advance at ranges of less than 1 mile. Together, the infantry's rifle fire and machine gun sections* and the artillery worked to good effect, holding the enemy until mid-afternoon, when the enemy, crossing by way of pontoons and improvised bridges, forced them to withdraw.
*notably the MG section of the 4th Royal Fusiliers, which won two Victoria Crosses on the day.
The Great Retreat then took II Corps south, to Le Cateau, where General Smith-Dorrien determined to make a stand. At Le Cateau on 25-26 August the German and British batteries engaged each other until a lack of ammunition forced the British artillery to disable and abandon nearly forty field guns. Sgt Alfred George of 120th Battery, RFA describes the scene: "We got into action with that 3rd [Gnr Banbrook's division] and 4th Divisions about 1.30 p.m. just as the Huns were getting the range on the 6th Battery RFA, several shells of the Huns hitting the guns and wagons and killing most of the gunners. We found that for about two miles to our right and left was British artillery and we knew then it would be an artillery duel. Every gun of our army was firing as fast as possible and by reports we did awful damage but the German guns were 10 to 1 so you can imagine which had the best chance. All our gunners stick it as long as possible, but we were being gradually beaten by force and numbers...We could see ammunition wagons trying to replenish getting about half-way to the gun, then a couple of shells would burst blowing the drivers and horses to smithereens...About 3.30 p.m. the Germans were advancing upon us so rapidly that the General Staff could see it was useless trying to stop the furious advance, so a General Retirement was ordered and it was every man for himself."
Gnr Banbrook would also probably have fought in this action before taking further part in the Great Retreat, which took the division south until it ended up in positions south-west of Coulommiers on 5 September. At some point during the retreat, however, problems from Gnr Banbrook's appendix operation must have presented themselves, and on 9 September he was admitted to 9th General Hospital, Nantes, with an old appendix wound and adhesion and subsequently evacuated home. For this service, he was entitled to the August-November 1914 clasp to his 1914 Star.
He returned again to theatre, on the strength of 113th Brigade, 25th Divisional Artillery via Southampton to Havre, on 25/26 September 1915. This time he was a Corporal, having been promoted whilst at Home. The 113th was a howitzer brigade at the time, each of its four batteries being equipped with four 4.5" field howitzers. It appears that he may have still been on the headquarters staff of the Brigade (to which he had been posted in July) at this point, however by early December 1915 he appears to have been on the strength of 'B' Battery, which moved to become 'B' Battery, 131st (Howitzer) Brigade on 4 December.
The 131st Brigade had been part of the 2nd Canadian Division since September 1915 and remained with the 2nd Canadian until some time in June 1916. Cpl Banbrook reverted to Bombardier at his own request on 1 February 1916: there is a note on his record certifying that the reversion was at his own request and not to escape trial by Court-Martial. A posting to the 131st Brigade's 'C' Battery followed just over a week later. Over the following two months the Division took part in the Actions of St Eloi Craters in March/April 1916.
On 17 May the battery underwent a further change to become 'C' Battery, 18th Brigade, part of the Lahore Divisional Artillery, this brigade being attached to 3rd Canadian Division. In early June 1916, the 3rd Canadian Division took part in the Battle of Mount Sorrel (Hill 62), with support from the Lahore Divisional Artillery. The planned attack was pre-empted by the Germans and the 3rd Division's commander was killed, resulting in Brigadier-General Edward Spencer Hoare Nairne of the Lahore Divisional Artillery temporarily taking over command whilst the front stabilised.
After just over five months with this battery Bdr Banbrook was posted again, this time to 'D' Battery, 11th Brigade RFA, also a Lahore Divisional Artillery formation, then part of the 4th Canadian Division. This posting took effect on 20 July 1916, in the midst of the Battle of the Somme.
By 22 August 1916 the 11th brigade was in the La Boiselle area, tenporarily attached to 4th Australian Division, which was engaged in the fighting on the Pozieres Ridge and by Mouquet Farm. The war diary of brigade headquarters noted "22nd Quiet most of day until 5.20pm when heavy shelling in R.34 a [?] at 5.30pm shelling in those quarters ceased but increased heavily all over our own front. 6.48 POZIER[E]S heavily shelled. Intense bombardment by us until 7.20pm. when all was reported quiet. Front heavily shelled at 9.45 p.m. we retaliated until 11.45 p.m when [?] O reported situation normal". On this date Bdr Banbrook died at 44 Casualty Clearing Station, Puchevillers, a few miles behind the front lines, of wounds incurred in action earlier that day.
Puchevillers was a main railhead for the delivery of ammunition and evacuation of casualties from the Casualty Clearing Station there, as well as a centre for training of troops, including practice trenches. Bdr Banbrook lies buried at Puchevillers British Cemetery, Somme. Tragically, his mother wrote as late as 4 September 1916 enquiring after his whereabouts and whether he had been transferred to England through wounds. At the foot of the headstone his mother caused the following to be written:
OUR BELOVED CHARLIE
DIED THAT WE MAY LIVE IN PEACE
SORROWING MOTHER
For his service he was entitled to the 1914 Star with Clasp & Roses, British War Medal, Victory Medal and Memorial Plaque.
His mother's address (his father having died in 1902) was 61 Warden Road, Kentish Town, London. His effects went principally to his mother, Mrs Mary Jane Robinson, with a small legacy to his sister of the full blood, Nellie B Banbrook.
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