Charles Briggs
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
Charles Briggs was born in 1882, the son of Charles and Mary Briggs at Thievesdale Lodge, Osberton . He was one of six children. His father was a bricklayer and had been resident in the Lodge since about 1880. His mother, Sarah Ann died in 1897 when he was 14 years old and his father remarried the following year. In 1902 at age 19, he went to Derby where he had a medical and was attested for the army which he joined at Aldershot on the 11th June. He was accepted in the Army Service Corps, a unit which was created to keep the army supplied with food, domestics, ammunition etc. using horse, mechanical vehicles and railways. He served for eight years and then a further four as a reservist. During this time he met a Worksop girl called Sarah Ann Bramley which led to their marriage at St Johns church in Worksop on the 7 June 1907. Just over a year later their fist child, Mildred Alice, was born, followed in 1912 with Kathleen Mary. By now, Charles was living in Portland Street, Worksop and working as a miner at Whitwell Colliery.
When war broke out in 1914, Charles was one of the first to be called up as he was on reserve and was enlisted and mobilised from Bradford on the 5th August 1918. His last child born, Charles Edwin, would have been born in his absence in October as by the 19th August he was in France as part of the expeditionary force back in the Army Service Corps. He was wounded in early 1915 and was hospitalised for a few days. The extent of his wounds were not recorded on his service record. Between then and 1917 he was twice on the receiving end of gas attacks. This awful means of warfare was the decline in health of Charles and after spending 3 years 108 days in France he was evacuated to Shorncliffe Military Hospital in England in December 1917. His medical record from there shows that he was suffering from shortage of breath, chest pains, dizziness and was easily fatigued. It also shows that the origin of his disability stems from May of 1917 at the Ypres battle front. It was the Medical Boards opinion that he was suffering from valvular disease of the heart, attributed to active war service and his disability was permanent. They recommended his discharge from the army as he was physically unfit and could only recommend out patient care at a nearby hospital to his home. His date of discharge was the 5th June 1918 when he returned home to his family in Worksop and awarded a pension. As one would expect his health did not improve, and he succumbed to heart failure from the effects of being gassed whilst on active service. His death occurred on the 6th November and was buried on the 9th in Worksop, Retford Road Cemetery Driver Charles Briggs Worksop Guardian 8 November 1918 The death took place on Wednesday morning at 7 Portland Street, Worksop, of Driver Charles Briggs, ASC. The deceased who was 35 years of age, leaves a widow and three young children, with whom the greatest sympathy is expressed. He was a very steady and respectable man and had served sixteen years in the army. At the time he was called up he was working at Whitwell pit. Driver Briggs has been in France with the ASC for three and a half years, and has seen some considerable amount of fighting. He had been once wounded and twice gassed. He had the Mons ribbon and he had been discharged Shorncliffe on June 26th last and sent home. Unfortunately his health did not improve, and he succumbed to heart failure as stated, from the effects of being gassed whilst on active service. The funeral will take place tomorrow (Saturday), at the new Cemetery with military honours. All members of the Worksop and district branch of the National Association of discharged Sailors and Soldiers are requested to attend at Headquarters at 2 pm Saturday, for the purpose of attending the funeral of our late comrade C Briggs. A good attendance is requested. J Woodhead, secretary.
Scofton memorial details:- Pte Charles Briggs Royal Army Service Cps No. 19417. Research by Colin Dannatt
