Private Charlie Dewhirst aged 22

Private Charlie Dewhirst aged 22.

Charlie Dewhirst was one of ten children of Henry and Eliza Dewhirst. The family lived at 19 Pall Mall and Sunny Brink in Mytholmroyd before moving to 4 Lane Ends, Midgley where Charlie attended Midgley United Methodist Chapel and Sunday School. Aged 16 in 1911 he worked as a worsted weaver. He enlisted in the army at Hebden Bridge in October 1915 and joined the Yorkshire Dragoons, a territorial unit. He went to France in December 1916 and was then transferred into the York and Lancaster Regiment. On 28th May 1917 he was wounded in the back and left leg. Although fatally wounded he was able to send a message home via the chaplain attending him. He died in No 3 Canadian Casualty Clearing Station at Remi Siding, a group of four Casualty Clearing Stations in Belgium with around 4,000 beds and 400 staff. Charlie is buried in the nearby Lijssenthoek British Military Cemetery, the cemetery contains almost 11,000 graves.

He is remembered locally at Mytholmroyd Mount Zion Chapel and Mytholmroyd UDC Rolls of Honour in St Michael’s Church Hall