Charles Ernest Bedford
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
Charles Ernest Bedford was born in Worksop in 1882. He was the only child born to Charles and Elizabeth Bedford, nee Boles. In 1901 the three of them were living at 47 Church Walk, Worksop where Charles senior was working as a coal miner hewer. By 1911 Charles and Elizabeth had moved and were living at 3 Duke Place, and with no record of residence of Charles Ernest. It may be that he had left the family home for work, as reported in his obituary in the Worksop Guardian.
Pte. Charles Ernest Bedford Worksop Guardian 6 July 1917 Another Worksop family bereaved by the Great War is that of Mr. and Mrs. Bedford, of Duke Place, off Portland Street, whose only son, Pte. Charles Ernest Bedford is reported killed in action. The circumstances are somewhat remarkable, but the fact that the poor lad was reported missing as long as ago as July, 1916, and although anxious enquiries had been made through the medium of the Red Cross, no further information was forth coming, until the other day, when the parents received a communication from the War Office in which was stated that they were constrained to believe that Pte. Bedford was killed in action about that time. Pte. Bedford, who was 24 years of age, enlisted in the Royal Warwicks in February, 1916, at Coventry where he was then employed. Previously, he was an assistant at Messrs, Liptons branch at Worksop for about two years and he was a well conducted lad, and respected by his colleagues and friends. He was last heard of on July 22nd, 1916, when he wrote to his parents from Rouen on the eve of going up to the front. His father had worked at Shireoaks for many years, and is well known His mother is an invalid, and the greatest sympathy is expressed with them in the loss of their son.
Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, France. Research by Colin Dannatt
