Royal Engineers Grave
Railway Wood
2nd Lieutenant Charles Geoffrey Boothby 177th Tunnelling Company Royal Engineers
28th April 1916
Born in Brixton, London on 13/12/1894.
His parents were Charles Boothby (1870-04/02/1917) and Alice Wilcox(1870-01/09/1944).
In the 1901 census,the family were recorded as living at 226 Vicarage Road, Leyton, Essex. His father was employed as a Manufacturing Chemist.
Charles attended Clayesmore School then in 1909 he went to Christ College,Brecon Wales,where in the 1911 Welsh Census
he was recorded as being a student boarder.
In the autumn of 1913 he entered Birmingham University and spent a year studying dentistry.
He was just short of his 20th birthday when he applied for a commission in December 1914. A year later he was seconded from the 8th Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment to the Royal Engineers.
In 1915 He met 18 year old Edith Ainscow.They exchanged love letters over a period of 18 months until he was reported missing in action in April 1916; having been blown up by a German mine at Railway Wood on the Bellewaerde Ridge near Ypres.The letters they sent each other survived the war and were eventually published by Edith's son Professor Arthur Stockwin in 2005.*
In his will his effects of £110 14s 5d( worth today about £10,455.84) were left to his father.
At the time of his death,the family home was Park View,Astwood Bank,Redditch,Worcestershire.
*Source-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RE_Grave,_Railway_Wood
147525 Corporal Roland Brindley
177th Field Company Royal Engineers
28th April 1916
Born in Wolstanton Staffordshire on 25/09/1876.He was christened on 11/10/1876.
His mother was Ann Brindley(1845-1917),his father is unknown.In the censuses taken his mother recorded herself as being
a widow,but there is no evidence to show that she was ever married.
He had 2 brothers,John(born in 1869) and Daniel (born in 1883). He also had 3 sisters,Alice(born in 1871),Mary Ann(born in 1876 and Emily(born in 1879).
In the 1881 census,the family is recorded as living on Apedale Road,Woolstanton,Staffordshire.His mother was employed
as a washer woman and Roland was working as a collier.
On 31/07/1895 he enlisted as Private 170 into the Coldstream Guards. At his medical held in Pontefract on 02/08/1895 ,
his height was recorded as being 5ft 9 inches,his weight was 142lbs,his complexion was sallow,his eyes were brown and his hair was dark brown.His chest measurement was 35 1/2 inches to 38 1/2 inches and he had a blue scar on his right forearm.
On completing his 3 year term of service he was transferred to the army reserves on 30/07/1898. On his transfer form,he stated his intended place of residence was 5 Highcliff Terrace Barnsley Yorkshire. He was recorded as being aged 21 years
and 10 months and his height was now measured as being 5ft 10 3/4 inches.His waist measurement was 32 inches , his helmet size was 22 and his boot size was 9.
He was recalled to army service under special army order of 07/10/1899.
He fought in the 2nd Boer war and served in South Africa from 21/10/1899 to 20/07/1902.
On 02/06/1900 he was absent without leave.He was imprisoned on 08/06/1900 and returned to duty on 22/06/1900.
He was awarded the Queens Medal with 6 clasps(these were for actions he took part in at Belmont,Modder River,Dreifontein,Johannesburg,Diamond Hill and Belfast.). He was also awarded the Kings medal with clasps.
He transferred to the army reserves on 30/06/1902 and on his transfer form he was recorded as being ages 25 years and 10 months.His height was recorded as being 5ft 10 inches,his waist measurement was 33 inches and his boot size was now an 8.
His intended place of residence was given as 6 Smithies Terrace,Smithies ,Barnsley,Yorkshire.
He completed his army service on 30/07/1907.
On 26/08/1904 he married Florence Bedford(1886-1943) and they had 2 children,Leonard(born on 19/05/1905) and Winifred(15/04/1913-03/09/1914).
In the 1911 census they were recorded as living at 34 Bridge Street,Barnsley and Roland was working as a coal miner underground.
When WW1 broke out ,Roland re-enlisted in Barnsley in August 1914 as Private 3265 in the York & Lancaster Regiment.
He was later transferred to the Royal Engineers.
His disembarkation into France was on 28/01/1915 and he was killed in action on 28/04/1916.
86601 Corporal George Arthur Woolley
177th Tunnelling Regiment Royal Engineers
22nd July 1917
Born in Langley Mill ,Nottinghamshire in 1875.
His parents were John Woolley(born in 1841) and Dorothy Brown(born in 1846),they were married in 1866.
He had 5 brothers,Samuel John(born in 1869),William Joseph(born in 1871),Jonathan Charles(born in 1873),Thomas
(born in 1875),John(born in 1878) and Josiah(born in 1880). He also had 5 sisters, Sarah Ann(born in 1864),Martha Sophia(born in 1873),Mary Emma Elizabeth(born in 1883),Elizabeth M (born in 1885) and Margaret Jane(born in 1888).
In the 1881 census the family are recorded as living at Crowford Road,Sir Charles Napier,Langley Hill,Nottinghamshire.
His father was employed as a coal miner.
In 1895 he married Martha Hemstock Hope(born in 1875) and they had 6 children,Matilda(born in 1897),John Thomas
(born in 1899),Dorothy Ann(born in 1901),James Otto(born in 1903),Agnes(born in 1909) and Edith Belle Elmore
(born in 1910).
In the 1911 census,George and his family were living at Alma Selston, Jackdale ,Nottinghamshire. He was employed
as a coal miner road man.
He enlisted in Nottingham as Private 17538 in the Sherwood Foresters(Notts & Derby Regiment) and was later transferred and promoted to Corporal 86601 in the 177th Tunnelling Regiment, Royal Engineers.
His disembarkation into France was on 19/03/1915 and he was killed in action on 22/07/1917.