On the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, France is the name of 21/343 Private Ralph Anderson Charlton, serving with the 21st (Tyneside Scottish) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers who died 01/07/1916.
The son of John and Ann Charlton, of 16, Routledge’s Buildings, Barrington, Bedlington, Northumberland.
Eoin Gallacher has submitted the following:-
Ralph Anderson Charlton was born at Barrington, Northumberland in late 1898, youngest son to parents, John and Annie Charlton. On the 1901 census, Ralph aged 2, was at 6 Office Row, Barrington Colliery, with his parents and siblings; Robert aged 18, John aged 16, Mary aged 14, Thomas aged 12, William aged 10, Rachel aged 6, Ann aged 4 and Lizzie aged only 6 months. John and Annie had Dorothy in 1903.
By 1911 they had moved to 15 Office Row, where Ralph was a scholar, his father and brothers working down the pit as miners. His parents by this point had been married 29 years. From 1905 to 1911, Ralph attended Barrington Colliery School.
Ralph, aged 16, volunteered on the 7th November 1914, enlisting in the 21st Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers (2nd Tyneside Scottish) at Bedlington, where he was allocated the service number 21/343, serving in ‘B’ Company.
He arrived in France in early 1916, with the rest of the Tyneside Scottish Brigade.
At 7:30am on the 1st July 1916, the 2nd Tyneside Scottish followed by the 3rd Tyneside Scottish advanced towards the German Lines at La Boisselle, where they were met with severe machine gun fire from the front, but also from a village to the left flank, which resulted in Ralph’s unit taking heavy casualties. Though deemed a success, the 2nd Tyneside Scottish suffered 478, killed, wounded and missing. They were practically wiped out, with their killed and wounded scattered across no man’s land.
It was in this engagement that Ralph Charlton was killed in action, aged only 17 years.
Private R.A. Charlton has no known grave, and is recorded on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing. He was originally reported as missing, but was later reported killed in action in mid-1917.
Before enlistment he was employed at Barrington Pit.
His pension card records his parents address as 1 Blacksmith Row, Barrington.
Robert, Ralph’s brother, enlisted in the Northumberland Fusiliers; his brother Thomas, enlisted in the 6th Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment. Both his father and mother received his effects.
The Morpeth Herald 26/6/1917 reports:-
Charlton — Killed in action on July 1st. 1916, aged 18 years. Private Ralph Anderson Charlton. Tyneside Scottish, N.F. the beloved son of John and Annie Charlton, of Barrington.
In the bloom of life death claimed him,
In the pride of his youthful days;
None knew him but with praise.
His cheery face we never forget.
Though years may pass away,
For one that we loved dearly,
Has ever passed away.
We little thought that when he left home,
that he would no more return;
But God has willed it otherwise.
And left us here to mourn.
The hardest blow has yet to come,
When the warriors all return.
And we miss among the cheering crowd.
The face of our dear son. —
(Ever remembered by his loving father, mother, brother and sisters.)
Both his father and mother received his effects. On the 1921 census they were living with their son, John, aged 8 and niece, Annie Watson at 1 Blacksmith Row, Barrington.
Ralph Anderson Charlton is possibly remembered at Bedlington on B15.06 as R. Charlton and at Choppington on C36.01.
