Pte 22125 Charles William Hughes

• Age: 27
• From: Welshpool
• Regiment: 13th Kings
• Died on Tuesday 12th December 1916
• Commemorated at: Varennes Mc
  Panel Ref: I.G.66

Charles William (Wiliam) was  born in Welshpool in 1889 the eldest son of Joseph and Eliza Hughes (nee Jones). He was baptised on 27th October 1889. 

William was one of 11 children 4 of whom sadly died. He had 3 older sisters; Ellen, Mary and Sarah. His younger siblings were Florence, Herbert, Joseph and Ernest all born in Welshpool. His youngest sister Constance was born in Liverpool.

The 1891 Census shows the family living at Pool Middle Division, Welshpool. William's father is employed as a Sawyer on the railways.

By 1901 the family are living at 2 Norfolk Place, Welshpool. 

The family moved to Liverpool at some point after the 1901 Census and the birth of Constance. By the 1911 Census the family are living at 7 Milner Road, Aigburth. William now 21 is employed as a window cleaner working with his father.

William married Louisa Roberts on 20/04/1915 at St John the Baptist Church in Toxteth. His occupation is shown as a window cleaner and the address on the Marriage Certificate is 32 Beresford Road, Toxteth.

William enlisted in Liverpool joining the 20th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 22125. He subsequently transferred to the 13th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment. William died of wounds on 12th December, 1916 aged 27.

He now rests at Varennes Military Cemetery I.G.66 where his headstone bears the epitaph:

"ONE OF THE BEST".

The cemetery was laid out by the 39th Casualty Clearing Station in August 1916, during the Battle of the Somme, but the first burials were made during August and September by more mobile divisional Field Ambulances. The 4th and 11th Casualty Clearing Stations then used the cemetery from October 1916, joined by the 47th from December 1916, but by May 1917 Varennes was deserted and remained so until the Germans launched their offensive in this quarter in April 1918. The cemetery was then extended by the 17th and 38th (Welsh) Divisions by the addition of plots II and III, and at the beginning of September 1918, the 3rd Canadian and 59th Casualty Clearing Stations arrived at Varennes.

The cemetery contains 1,219 burials of the First World War, two of which were brought in from Varennes Communal Cemetery in 1934.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield.

William's brother Ernest served with 3/6th KLR. He survived the war and was demobbed in February 1919 having been wounded and gassed. 

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