Charles Edward Weeks
Private 200817
1st Batt. Royal Berkshire Regt.

 Division 32

Charles Edward Weeks, was the son of Charles William and Agnes Esther Weeks, of 180 Kings Rd. Reading.  The 1911 census indicates that at the age of 17 Charles was working as a grocers assistant. His father had his own business as a book keeper and his younger brother, Cyril aged 9, was  in school.   Charles had attended Wokingham Road School, now known as Alfred Sutton Primary School and it is assumed that this was the school Cyril attended. Agnes had given birth to four children but only Charles and Cyril had survived.

Charles joined the army in Sept. 1914.   The Standard of August 19th 1916 gives an account of the wounding, in both legs, one arm and head, which Charles Weeks received on July 30th 1916. He had been left for dead when a 9.2inch (250lb.) shell fell in front of him but was brought out by the Warwick’s.  After the usual field dressings had been administered and treatment at a casualty clearing station he was transferred to Etaples and later evacuated to England where he spent some time in a war hospital in Norfolk. Writing from hospital  he commented that the food and treatment was A1.  Swelling in his face had gone down and he was now able to see out of both eyes.  His left thigh and right knee were still painful. In total he had twenty three injuries but only considered eleven to be bad.

Charles Weeks survived these injuries and returned to France where he was killed on 25^th March 1918^*, his body was never found.  A headstone in Division 32, of the Reading Cemetery, describes him as “Missing in France”, he is officially commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Bay 7,  he was 24 years old.

^{* Four days from the start of the German Spring offensive.}