Lives of the First World War

Pioneer Charles Morrell enlisted in London on the 18th of August 1915. The next day he arrived on Southampton Common along with my grandfather Charles Cooper and 1,000 other men for 9 days training to become soldiers and sent to France.

Personal details of Charles Morrell when he enlisted on the 19th of August 1915

Page from the "burnt" service records of Charles Morrell. It shows amongst other things the army units he served in, his home address when he enlisted and his job which was a labourer.

Army form B 103 from the service records of Charles Morrell. Showing amongst many things the date he landed in France and his unit rank and Company.

A letter written on the 12th of June 1918 to the army from Frances Morrell the mother of Charles. She was asking for his watch and chain to be returned to her.

Telegram from the War Office telling of the death of Charles Morrell from the Casualty Clearing Station. It states he died on the 4th of January 1918 from abdominal injuries and ends with the word Proelicas, the code word for Battle Casualty.

The statement of services page from the records of Charles Morrell. It shows his rank of Private in the Labour Corps.

Father : Joseph Morrell : Dead. Mother: Frances Morrell: Alive at 67 Windfield Road. Brother: Walter Morrell age 35 : Alive at 67 Windfield Road. Sister: Ada Webb age 32 : Alive at 67 Windfield Road. Sister: Minnie Brown age 32 : Alive at Stratford on Avon. Signed by his mother and witnessed by the Vicar of Wood Green on the 19th of June 1919.

1919 electoral rolls for the parish of Wood Green in London. It shows that the residents of 67 Winkfield Road ( the home of Charles Morrell) where his mother Frances under her second married name of Ayley was living with her husband John Ayley, her daughter Ada Webb and her son in law Frederick Webb.

General Table page from the Enlistment Medical History pages of the service records of Charles Morrell. It states his birthplace of Wormly, his age and his measurements.

Four images that together show the date and place of Charles's christening on the 30th of November 1873, his birth place, his parents and family and home in the census of April 1881 when he was a boy of seven.

The transcriber for this entry mistakenly made the family name " Fanny " that was the nickname for Charles's widowed mother " Frances " Morrell. She was the head of the household. It shows Charles at the age of 18 being a Carman? The census record also proves that In showing his older brother William aged 20 still living with his mother Frances and his siblings Charles, Walter, Ada and Minnie that on the declaration form for the parents and siblings of her deceased son Charles that Frances completed for the army she omitted those that were not living with her in 1919. This would mean that both William and Mary had died.

Top : Charles Morrell with enlarged detail on it. Bottom : His mother Frances Ayley with two enlargements.

From the book No Labour, No Battle by Ivor Lee and John Starling a precied account of the hurried and disorganised formation of the 5th Labour Battalion R E as written in their official war diary.

The Marguerite was used during the first world war to transport troops across the channel from Southampton docks to Le Havre. On the night of the 28th of August 1915 Charles Morrell was among the Pioneers of A Company under Captain Prior that crossed overnight arriving in Le Havre on the 29th.

Typed text copied from the war diary detailing from the Battalion's arrival in Le Havre on the 29th to it's arrival at Godewaersvelde on the 2nd of September 1915.

The cap badge was worn by all members of the Royal Engineers. Charles received his at sometime while he was on Southampton Common.

Text copied from the war diary telling of A Companies arrival at its first Camp in the war zone and of its duties during the first month there. Map showing its location.

A recent photo from google earth of a house in High Road similar in style and close to the site of number 161 that Was Charles Morrell's family home in 1881 when he was seven years old.

Photo taken c-1890 of High Road in Wormley, Hertfordshire close to Charles Morrell's family home number 161. The 1881 census placed him there when he was seven years old living with his family and was probably the house he was born in.

Moselle Street in Tottenham where Charles Morrell lived with his family in 1891.

c-1900 photo of Jolly Butchers Hill, Wood Green, London. Winkfield Road where Charles lived when he enlisted has long been demolished and flats built on the site.

The hutted C and D Camps were located close to Vlamertinghe. The Battalion's Companies were marched out daily all around the area to work at various sites almost continuously under artillery shelling.

Charles Morrell worked with A Company at various sites around Vlamertinghe mainly on road, dump and quarry duties up until the end of April 1916.

The hand written entries on these selected pages show some events that took place for A Company, including its move to G.35.b Camp on the 5th of April 1916. C, B and D Companies are also mentioned. Towns in the vicinity were Vlamertinghe, Hallebast and Dickebusch.

Map showing some of the places where Charles Morrell worked with the Battalion's A Company and photos of Pioneers in the labour battalion on railway construction and repairs and being entrained to Elverdinghe plus a diary entry explaining the diarist's reasons for being unable to collect data.

Photo of the Clearing Station at Grevillers where Charles Morrell was taken either having died while under attack or dying from his abdominal injuries at the hospital. He was buried at the nearby Army cemetery.

Images of the Casualty clearing station and headstone at Grevillers. Text giving the history of the hospital and cemetery. The telegram sent to Charles Morrell's mother informing her of his death.

Two photos of general service cap badges issued to soldiers during World War One. The newly formed Labour Corps would have been issued with one of these two, maybe one of them was for officers, in August 1917. Charles Morrell was killed before the newly commissioned pioneer labour corps badge that included a rifle was issued to the men after arming some of them after the spring offensive of 1918 started.

The Army details of Charles Morrell are shown on this record of the medals he was posthumously awarded. It is very clear and precise in all the details of his time at war.