Tyne Cot Memorial
Tyne Cot Memorial: Pauline Priano
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Charles Allen was born at South Shields, June 3rd 1898 and baptised June 26th at St. Hilda’s Church. One of 11 children of whom only 7 survived, 4 sons and 3 daughters, he was the third born son. His parents James Allen and Elizabeth Hymers Lamb both natives of South Shields born 1868 and 1871 respectively were married in 1889. James was employed as a ship joiner, when Charles was 2 years of age they were living at 111, Bath Street, South Shields, by 1911 they had moved to 120, Cleveland Street, his father still employed as a joiner, James Jnr (17) was a brass maker apprentice, Charles (12), Frederick (11) and Laura (7) although not listed as such were presumably scholars, John (20) and Jessie (18) had left home.
At the age of 17 years Charles left his employment as an apprentice blacksmith in order to enlist, for the duration of the war, at South Shields, January 25th 1916, making a false declaration that he was 19 years of age, other documents list him as 20 years old. He joined the battalion at Newcastle-upon-Tyne the following day assigned as Private 30248 to the 23rd Battalion Durham Light Infantry, the first of the DLI’s New Army reserve battalions. May 9th 1916 he was transferred to the 19th (Durham Bantams) and departed via Folkestone to France, May 10th. He remained at battalion depot until June 26th when he was ordered to proceed to join his battalion in the field just as preparations were underway for them to move south, July 1st 1916, by rail, to participate on the Somme in the trenches near Longueval, however, they did little fighting instead digging new communication and reserve trenches. Despite not being in the front line they did sustain many casualties.
Private Allen was wounded July 28th 1916 and declared wounded and missing by August 5th, his family were informed. By October he was still considered as missing until a pal of Charles gave his family a letter received by him, dated October 1916, transcribed including grammatical errors it read, "Dear Pal, Just a line or two hoping to find you in the best of health and all at home as it leaves me at present. I have not had a letter from you for a while but I shall not give up hopes of you forgeting me. I had letter from Jack and I am pleased to know five a the lads attested I guess you are one of them, and I should like to know whom the others are. We expect to go up the lines tomorrow and I have lost my money (bragging like-) so no cigs for me. The lads do not get their winds up going in the lines here. We are sometimes better off than out of the line it is very quiet about here nearly all rifle and machine gun fire no big coal boxes like the Somme. Here our leave is starting soon but waiting to see I will not believe anything until I am in South Shields. Thur is a lot of lads from Shields here they mostly come from Shields and Sunderland but I have not met a lad I really new only one that worked with me but he is in another Coy. I have no more to say hoping all at home is in the pink as it leaves me at present. Your Pall Charlie. p.s. Remember me to all the lads Charlie".
In the interim the office of the general paymaster at York had requested the return of a completed certificate of dependants as by now they considered him to be presumed dead, this was replied to by his sister Laura, only 12 years old, presumably neither his parents could write. Addressed to the Paymaster General and dated October 23rd 1916, it reads, "In answer to your request for the return of the certificate and ring paper of Private C. Allen No.30248 who was reported missing but is still with his regiment and has only been missing a very short while. I am in constant communication with him, and enclose a letter from him, that has just been received on Friday Oct 20th and if you will please enquire you will find this to be correct and Oblige Yours Laura Allen". After investigation by the 3rd Echelon this was proven to be exact.
Recovered from his wounds he had returned to his unit however January 24th 1917 he was classified P.B. no longer fit for active service and withdrawn from the front line, assigned to various units over the next 6 months including the 19th Ordnance Depot, 1st Labour Corp, 18th General Station and 16th Ordnance Depot as well as being on loan for a short time to the Royal Engineers.
August 6th 1917 he was posted back to front line duty transferred to the 13th Battalion Durham Light Infantry, joining them in the field where they were attached to the 23rd Division serving in Belgium on the Ypres salient. He saw action with them during September at the Third Battle of Ypres in the fighting on the Menin Road, at Polygon Wood and during the First Battle of Passchendaele.
Private 30248 Charles Allen was killed in action October 12th 1917, the first day of the First Battle of Passchendaele. His sacrifice is recorded on the Memorial to the Missing which forms the stone wall surrounding Tyne Cot Cemetery, Zonnebeke, near Ypres, Belgium, commemorating those who died after August 15th 1917 on the Ypres salient who have no known grave, panel 128-131. He was 19 years old and single.
His mother Elizabeth living at 102, Cleveland Street, South Shields received all monies due to him and his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Charles Allen is remembered at South Shields on S86.02 and at Durham in D47.013dpage 282.