Charles Levick

Private Chas. Levick Worksop Guardian 24 Dec 1914 Private Chas. Levick of the Northumberland Fusiliers, husband of Mrs Levick of 8 Chale walk, Westgate, has been killed in action, Mrs Levick having received official information from the War Office to that effect. The deceased was employed as a postman, and left for the front during the first week in August. The widow of the deceased is only 23, and has two little children – one not quite 3 years and the other fifteen months old to whom the greatest sympathy will be extended in their bereavement . With the “Fighting Fifths” Private Levick went through part of the South African War obtaining a medal at Bloemfontein. Very soon after enlisting he was sent to South Africa, and later to India. Private Charles Levick Retford Times 1 Jan 1915 Private Charles Levick of the Northumberland Fusiliers has been killed in action on November 12th. The deceased leaves a widow who lives at 8 Chapel Walk, Westgate, Worksop, and two young children and the greatest sympathy is felt for them in their bereavement. The late Private Levick was a native of Retford and was the third son of Mr and Mrs J C Levick, 12 New Street. He was educated at the National School under the late Mr T Daffen. He served his time with the “fighting fifths”. Very soon after enlisting he went to South Africa and later to India. He also went through part of the South African War and gained a medal for service on the North Western Frontier. He returned from India in 1911 and was then appointed a postman at Newark. He was transferred to Worksop where he had been employed for nine months and was called up for active service during the first week in August. His period as a reservist would have expired this month. The deceased’s brother in law, Private Wardle, Nottingham, is also in the Northumberland Fusiliers, and now lies wounded in the Base Hospital in Havre. Mr and Mrs J C Levick’s son, Sgt John Levick, 25 Humber Street, is with the active service regiment of the 8th Notts and Derby Battalion at Bocking, Braintree, Essex, as is also their son in law, L/Cpl William Holliday, Retford. Another son Cpl Harry Levick was formerl in the Notts and Derby Territorial Regiment but was discharged as medically unfit. He is now a member of the Retford Ambulance Brigade. .................................................................................................................. PRIVATE CHARLES LEVICK The Post Office was a popular place of employment for ex regular servicemen and this certainly applied to Charles Levick as when he settled in Worksop he obtained a job with the Post Office in February 1914. Charles had been born in Retford in 1885 and took the Queen’s shilling to join the 1st Battalion of the Northumberland Fusiliers just before the 2nd South African War, The Boer War. There is a report that Charles served in this war and distinguished himself in the advance on Bloemfontein although he must have been a very young soldier at the time. Charles went on to serve in India including service on the North West Frontier and was duly awarded the Indian General Service Medal with the North West Frontier Clasp. As with all those on the Reserve Charles was recalled to the regimental depot at Portsmouth on the 4 August 1914 and it tells us a great deal about the efficiency of the British Army in that all the reservists who made up some 40% or so of the battalion had been reissued with uniforms including new boots, kit and equipment to enable the battalion to sail to France on 14 August and be in action at Mons in Belgium on 23 August. The 1st Northumberland Fusiliers was part of 9 Brigade, 3 Division in 11 Corps under the command of Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien. Forced to retreat from Mons to conform with the French withdrawal on their right the British Army was strongly perused by the German Imperial Army and to prevent it being overrun Smith-Dorrien stood and checked the German at Le Cateau allowing the retreat to continue until the tide was turned by a French reserve army quickly formed the French Commander-in-Chief Joseph Joffre. Charles’ battalion fought in this action and on the River Aisne and at Le Bassee as the battles moved to the North with heavy losses being incurred on the way. On the day before Charles was killed the battalion, now reduced by four fifths, to only some 200 men, was holding the line East of Ypres in shallow trenches. An attack had been repulsed with heavy loss on 8 October and again the enemy attacked on the 11th when the line to the left was taken. The day of Charles’ death, 12 October, was described as a ‘quiet day’ but the battalion remained under rifle fire which must have been the cause of his death. After leaving the army following his service in India Charles was a regular visitor to the home of a Mr. & Mrs. Gilbert Wardle in Hyson Green Birmingham and in the summer of 1911 married their daughter Mary Louise (Louie). They made their home at Chapel Walk in Worksop and at the time of her husband’s death Louie , then aged only 23, was left with two very young children. Charles has no known grave but is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial at Ypres. Sources. British Battalion s in France and Belgium 1914 p47. Ray Westlake. Leo Cooper 1997. Soldiers Died in the Great War. Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Worksop Guardian. Robert Ilett November 2014

Commemorated on Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial. Research by Colin Dannatt