Charles Frederick Caleb Miller
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
Charles was the son of Charles Alfred Miller, a ship rigger at Chatham Dockyard, Kent, and his first wife Harriet (née Rudman, m. 1886). Charles and Harriet had three children; Charles, Mabel Louise Achrish and Harriet Jane E (d. 1891) who were all born in Gililngham, Kent. Charles Alfred married secondly Jane Rudman in June 1891 and they had two daughters, Jane Elizabeth and Beatrice Alice, also born in Gillingham. Charles snr. died at HMS Challenger, Chatham, in February 1907 and was buried in Gillingham Grange Road and Woodland Cemeteries, where his daughter Harriet had been buried 16 years previously. The famiy lived in Gillingham between 1891 and 1911. Charles Frederick Caleb joined the Royal Navy in 1903 and was serving in HMS Lance when he married Ellen Isabella Holden (b. Islington, London) on 29 June 1915. Ellen was living at Burnt Oak Terrace, Gillingham, Kent, when her husband died in 1920. She married secondly William Edgar Ennis in 1922 (marriage registered Basford, Nottingham) and the later CWGC record gave her address as 41 Manvers Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham. She died in 1951; the probate record gave her address as West Bridgford.
HMS Ganges, Shotley. Charles joined the Royal Navy on 1 April 1903 as a Boy Artificer and entered on a 12 year continuous service engagement on his eighteenth birthday, 12 December 1905, extended for war service and later on extension. He was appointed acting Chief Engine Room Artificer 2nd Class on 1 November 1917 and promoted CERA 2nd Class on 1 November 1918. He joined HMS Ganges in June 1919. Charles died on 9 February 1920 at the Royal Naval Hospital, Shotley, from from bonchial pneumonia and heart failure. However, his service record noted the outcome of a Court of Enquiry into his death which was 'from the result of a self-inflicted wound to the throat. No blame attached to anyone.' indicating that Charles received medical treatment but died from complications as a result of his injury. He was buried on 13 February in Gillingham (Woodlands) Cemetery, Kent (grave ref. H.40). CWGC - History of Gillingham (Woodlands) Cemetery, Kent (extract): 'There is a large naval section in Gillingham (Woodlands) Cemetery which was reserved by the Admiralty and served the Royal Naval Hospital in Windmill Road. The section contains most of the war graves as well as burials of the pre-war and inter-war years.' (www.cwgc.org)
CWGC: 'He was the husband of Ellen Isabella Miller of 41 Manvers Road, West Bridgford Nottingham.' Ellen and William Ennis had a son, John Frederick, who served in RAFVR, 101 Squadron (1582755 Sergeant), in the Second World War and died on 15 March 1944, buried Choloy War Cemetery, Lorraine France (CWGC.2319719).
