NOTHING happened during the First World War without the back-breaking labour of men and beasts.
One such soldier was Charles Forrester, of Upper Ipsley, Redditch.
Little is known about Charles, who served as a private in the Labour Corp during the war, but such was the demand for back-breaking work that by the summer of 1917 the British were bringing in thousands of Chinese labourers to do navvy work.
Trenches had to be dug, roads built, artillery, munitions and supplies had to be moved around. Add in enemy artillery and aircraft attacks, plus working in all weathers and conditions, and the lot of such soldiers was tough.
The Labour Corp was formed in January 1917 and by the time of the 1918 Armistice contained 389,000 men.
Members of the Labour Corps were often returning, wounded soldiers not classified fit enough to return to combat duties, or men medically rated as not fit enough for frontline service.
As such they were often looked about as second-class citizens, despite their vital work, and few records remain of their activities.
What is known about Charles is that he was killed in action on July 1, 1917 on the Western Front, most likely in Flanders, as the British prepared for what would become the bloody Third Battle of Ypres.
Another Redditch soldier of whom little is known is Albert Cash.
He was killed in action on July 4, 100 years ago this week, in Flanders.
He was born in Redditch and was still living here when he enlisted, joining the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment.
Both he and Charles Forrester are remembered on the St Stephen’s Church war memorial.
With thanks to www.longlongtrail.co.uk, Remembering Redditch’s Fallen Heroes, and the Royal Warwickshire Regiment museum.
Since this article was published we have received more information on Albert and Charles from local resident Richard Pearce. This is what he told us:
Albert Samuel Cash.
Albert was born in Redditch in 1886, to Samuel & Alice Cash living at 59 Edward Street and he had a younger sister named Florence. In 1908 Albert marries Ada Shakels in St Stephens church, Ada was from Feckenham. They must have lived in the village for a little time as their two children Florence Ada and Donald were both born there.
By 1911 Albert’s father had died and Albert and family had moved back in with his mother and sister. Albert was working in the cycle manufacturing trade.
Albert enlisted into the 2nd battalion of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment quite early as on 2nd May 1915 he arrived in France with a regimental number of 11090. He was killed in action on 4th July 1917 and is buried in Mory Abbey Military Cemetery near to Arras and Bapaume in France.
Ada, being his next of kin received his pay credits of £2, 18 shillings and 9 pence, and after the war his gratuity payment of £10, 10 shillings. In December 1920 she marries James Mousley and lives quite a long life dying in 1955 aged 73.
Charles Forester.
Charles was born in Redditch to William and Ann Forester, William was a house painter and decorator, living in Mount Pleasant, Ipsley. Charles was one of at least five boys and four girls, his mother dies in 1882 when he is seven years old. Charles follows in his father’s footsteps becoming a painter and decorator himself.
In 1899 he marries Ellen Craddock in Kings Norton and Richard thinks they have at least one child together before she dies in 1901 aged 34. The 1911 census sees Charles boarding in Arrow Road, Redditch with Mr & Mrs Earnest Dolphin, also a house painter.
On December 6, 1915, Charles enlists into the Infantry Labour Company of the Hampshire Regiment under the Lord Derby scheme, aged 40 years and nine months. He returned to Beoley Road and his house painting to await his mobilization.
He has to wait almost 12 months when on November 3 1916 he leaves his new address of 16 Mason Road and starts his army training with a service number of 35011.
During 1917 the separate regimental labour companies are brought together to form the Labour Corps. Charles is transferred on May 14, 1917 to 178 Labour Company, Labour Corps with a new number of 106348.
178 Labour Company was formed in Taunton and on March 6, 1917 travelled to France via Boulogne. They shortly moved to Hazebrouck where they were employed in railway construction, due to the very bad weather 20 per cent of the company were sick.
They continued to construct railways in the Poperinghe area along with Canadian and New Zealand troops in preparation for the battle of Messines. Later they were engaged in earthworks and road building along the Poperinghe – Vlamertinghe road, this was when Charles was killed in action.
He is buried in Vlamertinghe New Military Cemetery, not far from Ypres in Belgium, under the headstone of the Hampshire Regiment, with his old service number of 35011. His father, William received his medals, pay credits of £4, 4 shillings and 5 pence and war gratuity of £3 in 1922.
Just to note that on April 24, 1918, 70438 private Gilbert Field of 2nd battalion Devonshire Regiment dies aged 19. He lived at 20 Mason Road, two doors down from Charles at number 16. Gilbert is buried in Adelaide Cemetery, Villers Bretonneux, to the east of Amiens, south of the river Somme, France.
