Charles Henry Curran
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He was born in 1894 the son of Henry a sewing machine packer and Ellen Ann Curran née Swanwick. His father Henry and mother Ellen Ann Swanwick were born in 1874 in Nottingham. They went on to marry in 1894 in Nottingham and had 7 children, all of whom were born in Nottingham; they were: Charles Henry b1874, Frederick b1896, George Ernest b1899, Ivy Eliza b1902, Leslie Bramman b1904, Horace Edward b1907 and Ethel Mildred b1909. In 1901 the family was living at 48 Cobden Street Nottingham. By the 1911 census they lived at 44 Coppice Road Nottingham and were shown as Henry 37 yrs a sewing machine packer; he is living with his wife Helen 37 yrs and their children, Charles H 17 yrs an out setter at pit bottom, Frederick 15 yrs a printer's errand boy, George Ernest 12 yrs a school boy, Ivy Eliza 9 yrs a school girl, Leslie Bramman 7 yrs, Horace Edward 4 yrs and Ethel Mildred 2 yrs. His mother Ellen, following the death of her son, returned Army Form W5080 (giving details of surviving next of kin) dated 19th May 1919; in the space for his father's details she had written "mentally afflicted". Charles was engaged to Violet at the time of his death.
Private Charles Henry Curran enlisted at Nottingham in the Territorial Force on 14 September 1914. He was 20 yrs and 5 days old and lived at 44 Copice Road, Mapperley, his next of kin was his father Henry of the same address. He served with “B” Company, 1/7th Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire) Regiment (Robin Hood Rifles). He landed in France on 20th February 1915. He was shot in the head and admitted to Le Touquet hospital on 14th May 1915 and was returned to England for treatment but died of his wounds at Reading Royal Hospital on 9th June 1915. He was buried in Nottingham General Cemetery on 14th June 1915 and is now commemorated on the Screen Wall. (Nottingham General Cemetery Screen Wall: 03268)
His brother Frederick Cyril Curran also enlisted on 22nd September 1914 when he was 19 yrs of age. He served with the 7th battalion Sherwood Foresters later transferring to the Machine Gun Corps; he had landed in France on 28th February 1915. He survived the war and was discharged from the Royal Engineers on 22nd December 1918. An article published on 14th June 1915 in the Nottingham Evening Post :- “BULLET'S TWO VICTIMS. “MILITARY FUNERAL OF A ROBIN HOOD IN NOTTINGHAM. “The first of the 1/7th Sherwood Foresters (Robin Hoods) to be interred in Nottingham was buried with full military honours at the Nottingham General Cemetery this afternoon [14th June 1915]. “He was Private Charles Henry Curran, aged 21, whose home was at 44, Coppice-road, Nottingham, and whose death took place in Reading Hospital on Wednesday [9th June 1915]. “Among the mourners at the graveside was a comrade who was wounded, singularly enough, by the bullet which inflicted the fatal injury on Curran. This was Private E. A. Ryall, who on a date in the early part of May, while in France with his battalion, received a bullet in the mouth, which knocked out several of his teeth and passed out through his cheek, to find a resting place in Curran’s head. The latter was admitted to the hospital at Le Touquet on May 14th, and was received at Reading Royal Hospital on the 1st of this month, dying, however, from the effects of his wound just over a week after his transference. “Large crowds were present at the graveside, while close on 600 men of the 3/7th Battalion of the Robin Hoods, under Capt. W. H. R. Iles, lined the path to the graveside, and about 100 yards of the Alfreton-road outside the top gate of the burial ground. “Borne on an ordinary hearse, the coffin was covered with the Union Jack and surmounted by the deceased’s cap and belt. Men of the depot battalion acted as bearers, while the bugle band, Bugle-Major Machin, sounded the “Last Post” at the graveside. A firing party of the same battalion, under Company Sgt.-Major W. T. Earl fired three volleys over the grave. “The service at the graveside was conducted by the Rev. P. D. Maddock. of St. Jude’s Church, Mapperley.” Above article is courtesy of Jim Grundy Small Town Great War Hucknall 1914-1918 Ernest Alan Ryall returned to the Western Front, serving with 1st Battalion of the Sherwood Foresters. Nottingham Evening Post, ‘In Memoriam’, 10 June 1916: ‘Curran. In loving memory of my dearly loved eldest son, Private CH Curran, 2551, 1/7th Robin Hoods, died of wounds June 9th, 1915. He died, but not in vain. Silently mourned. Mother, brothers, sisters, friends Horace and Harold.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) Nottingham Evening Post, ‘In Memoriam’, 10 June 1916: ‘Curran. In loving memory of Private CH Curran, 1/7th Sherwood Foresters, died of wounds. Loved too well to be forgotten. Fiancee Violet.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)
