Pte 50057 Charles Stone

• Age: 26
• From: Bridgwater, Somerset
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Tuesday 31st July 1917
• Commemorated at: Menin Gate Memorial
  Panel Ref: Panel 4 & 6

Charlie, as he was known, was born in Bridgwater, Somerset, in 1891 to unmarried mother Annie Stone.  He was baptised in Holy Trinity Church, Bridgwater, on 05^th June 1891. His mother Annie (Mary Ann on earlier census) was born in 1870 in Hemyock, Devon; Charlie lived all his life with his maternal grandparents.

In 1891, just before he was born, his mother Annie is living at home in St. Matthew’s Field. She was 21 and employed as a domestic servant.

In 1901 Charles, 10, is living with his grandparents Simon, 63, and Mary Stone, 55, at 9 St. Matthew’s Field, Bridgwater, along with their own children Francis, Rose, Samuel, Florence, Henry, and Lilly.  His grandfather is a farm labourer. Charles is 10.  His mother is not in the household.

In 1911 Charles is still with his grandparents, Also in the household are their single children Rose 33, and Henry 22, as well as granddaughter Daisy Chapple, 19.  Charlie is 19 and employed as a brickyard labourer.

He enlisted in Codford, Wilts and originally served as T/4/956780, in the Royal Army Service Corps. Following a transfer he was serving in the 19th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 50057.

He was killed in action on the 31st July 1917 during the Third Battle of Ypres.

19^th Battalion

The 19^th Battalion started the day in Divisional Reserve but were called forward in the early morning of 31^st July and reached Maple Copse in late afternoon. It was originally detailed to continue with the morning’s attack but this was cancelled and they eventually relieved a Battalion of the 53^rd Brigade in the newly captured line, sustaining casualties from shell fire.

The Battalion was relieved on the night of 3^rd/4^th August.

Although not actively engaged in the assault the Battalion lost 26 men killed or died of wounds with four officers and 101 men wounded.   

Charlie's body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial at Ypres in Belgium.

The site of the Menin Gate was chosen because of the hundreds of thousands of men who passed through it on their way to the battlefields. It commemorates casualties from the forces of Australia, Canada, India, South Africa and United Kingdom who died in the Salient. In the case of United Kingdom casualties, only those prior 16 August 1917 (with some exceptions). United Kingdom and New Zealand servicemen who died after that date are named on the memorial at Tyne Cot, a site which marks the furthest point reached by Commonwealth forces in Belgium until nearly the end of the war. New Zealand casualties that died prior to 16 August 1917 are commemorated on memorials at Buttes New British Cemetery and Messines Ridge British Cemetery.

The YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL now bears the names of more than 54,000 officers and men whose graves are not known. The memorial, designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield with sculpture by Sir William Reid-Dick, was unveiled by Lord Plumer on 24 July 1927.

His death was reported in the Taunton Courier on 29th August 1917:

KILLED

STONE - Killed in action, August 1st, Private Charles Stone, King's Liverpool Regiment, son of Mrs Stone, 6 Matthew's Field, Bridgwater, aged 26. 

He was also reported killed in the Weekly Casualty List 11th September 1917:

King's Liverpool Regiment - Stone 50057 C. (Bridgwater);

Soldiers Effects to grandmother Mary Stone.

His Pension card (showing date of death 1/8/1917) shows mother (grandmother) Mary Stone, 6 St. Matthew’s Field, Bridgwater

Charlie is commemorated on the Bridgwater Civil Memorial

We currently have no further information on Charles Stone, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.