Born on 15th October 1889 at Ightham in Kent, son of Luer (Agricultural Labourer) and Ada Crowson. 1881: With his family at Ightham Common. 1891: With family at 2 Rosewood Cottage, Ivy Hatch Road, near Hope Farm. The family remained there in 1901, but Charles and his father were both Domestic Gardeners. 5th June 1909: Charles married Lydia Elliman at St Andrew’s Church Plaistow. 1911: Still a Domestic Gardener he now lived at 51 Parkside, Woodford Green with Lydia and their one year old son Ernest. After the war Lydia was shown as living in 8 Aldeburgh Place, Woodford Wells.
On 2rd August 1918, 2 Suffolk attacked German trenches at Gommecourt. During the night of 29/30 August 1918 the Battalion moved into position for a dawn attack on the villages of Ecoust de Main and Noreuil near Arras. The first village was taken, but a furious German response meant they were unable to hold it, so after six hours the Battalion withdrew to the line of Ecoust Trenches. During the day they had incurred 200 casualties, including Charles Crowson.
His brother Petty Officer Robert Crowson was lost south west of Beachy Head on 7th July 1917, when the bow of HMS “Ettrick” was blown off by a torpedo fired by the U-61.
Both brothers appear on the Ightham Village War Memorial.
X/R: Petty Officer Robert Crowson (Brother).
Research by Adrian Lee, Local Historian
Sources:
Ancestry.com
FindmyPast.co.uk