Pte 57644 Charlie Freshney

• Age: 25
• From: Mirfield
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• D.O.W Friday 27th June 1919
• Commemorated at: Mirfield St Marys Cy
  Panel Ref: 8.Z01

Charlie (his birth was registered as Charley) was born on 6th November 1893 in Mirfield, Yorkshire, to George William Freshney and Ellen (nee Waters), who married in Wakefield in 1890.  His father was from Lincolnshire and his mother from Cambridgeshire.  They had ten children;  Charlie had an older brother Matthew, and younger siblings Mary (who died in infancy), Nellie, Alice, Arthur, Lily, George (who died aged 2), Mary, and Hilda.

In 1901 his parents, with four children, are living in New Scarborough.  His father is a maltster’s foreman.  Charlie is seven years old.

In 1911  his parents, now with eight children, are living in New Scarborough, Mirfield, Yorkshire.  His father is a foreman in the cleaning department of a malt warehouse.  Charlie is 17, a spinner in a yarn mill.  His older brother Matthew  also works in the yarn mill and his sister Nellie, only 13, works in a blanket mill.  His youngest sibling, Hilda, was born in 1914; sadly, she died in 1918, on 27^th June, one year to the day before her big brother Charlie.

Charlie enlisted in Dewsbury on 6^th October 1915, as Private 95 joining the 3/1^st West Riding Divisional Cyclist Co., giving his residence as New Scarborough, Mirfield, and his religion as Methodist. He gives his age as 21 years and 350 days, and is 5’ 5 and three quarter inches tall.  His father George Freshney is his next of kin.

He was posted to the Army Cyclist Corps as Private 15560 on 1^st November 1916 training at Chiseldon Camp, near Swindon, and went to France on 29^th December 1916.  It appears that he was immediately transferred to the 18th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private 57644.  He suffered a gunshot wound to the left foot on 1^st May 1917, and was evacuated to UK the same day on the hospital ship “Jan Breydel”.  He was treated at Huddersfield War Hospital; his foot was operated on, but he was discharged on 29^th April 1918, being no longer physically fit for war service.  Charlie was awarded an 80% permanent disability pension, from 30^th April 1918, and given a recommendation of outpatient orthopaedic treatment.

He earned the Victory Medal and the British War Medal, and a Silver War Badge.  His pension card notes ‘Case not found up to 4-11-19’.  His parents were living at 5 Shaw Street, New Scarborough, Mirfield, Yorkshire.

Charlie married Bertha Wilson in 1918.  Their daughter Hilda May was born on 30^th May 1919.  Charlie died from his wounds a month later, on 27^th June 1919.  He was 25. Charlie was laid to rest in the churchyard of St. Mary the Virgin in Mirfield.  His headstone inscription reads,

“WORTHY OF EVERLASTING LOVE”. 

There are 35 First World War burials in the Cemetery.

His daughter married in 1945, had a family, and died in 1997.

Charlie is commemorated on the Men of Mirfield Memorial – as G Freshney (there is no G Freshney on CWGC).

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