**For the month of November in honour of Armistice Day we will be revisiting the
local war graves I have researched. This post was originally
published 17th October 2012.**
"They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old.
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them".
When I first researched the life of Sapper Charles Edward Cox, it was difficult to find any information on him pre 1915. However, after a lot of searching, I had a break through.Charles Edward Cox was born in 1892 in Cork, Ireland to Charles Edward Cox, a retired army sergeant and postmaster, and his wife Elizabeth Stacey.
In 1901, the nine year old Charles can be found living with his parents at the Oxford Wood Barracks in Reading Berkshire.
The 1911 Census finds Charles lodging in the home of Albert Rippington in Compton, Berkshire where Charles is working as a Railway Porter for the Great Western Railway.
In 1915 in Maidenhead Berkshire Charles Edward Cox married Elsie Elizabeth May Groves, before moving into her family's home at 27 Grenfell Place Maidenhead.
Charles served with the Royal Engineers as a Sapper, a soldier who performs a variety of military engineering duties such as bridge-building, laying or clearing minefields, demolitions, field defenses and general construction.
On 29th February 1920 (a leap year) Charles died of pneumonia at his home, aged just 28 years old.
Elsie never remarried and died in Maidenhead, Berkshire in 1975.
Wow nice work and here is a coincedence this is Compton Station where he worked http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1734665
ReplyDeleteNow that is fascinating. Such a shame that such a beautiful building is in such a poor state. Would it be possible to use your picture in the above post?
ReplyDeleteReally interesting post! I'm glad you were able to dig up some more information.
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