Charles Edward William Proctor
Private 10260 1st Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment
Division 76
Extension
 |
 |
Charles Edward William Proctor was the eldest son of Mr William Davis Proctor and Mrs Minnie Proctor, of 17, Tudor Road, Reading. He is remembered on the family grave number 16452. Berkshire Family History Society classification 76B5.
The headstone refers to Charles being ‘Killed in Action in France’, but gives only the years of his life, 1882 -1918. The author has located two sets of photographs relating to the family so it is known that he was one of five brothers who served during the war. It is unclear from the captions which brother is which. Ancestry UK indicates that the family tree for this family has been researched and that all the other brothers survived the war.
 |
The Reading Standard September 22nd 1917 reported that two of the Proctor brothers had been wounded. Later it was revealed by the same shell. Corporal F (possibly Frederick) Proctor was evacuated to Eastbourne. He had served three years in France and had also been awarded the Military Medal. His brother Sapper W (possibly Walter) Proctor suffered shrapnel in the hand and was in convalescent camp in France.
A search of the CWGC website has not revealed any information to further establish the service details, time or place of death of Charles E.W. Proctor during 1918. However, photograph captions refer to both Royal Berkshire Regiments and Royal Engineers. A CWGC search revealed that a C.E.W. Proctor of the 1st Royal Berkshire Regiment was killed on the 24th June 1916. No family details are given. However, a report in the local paper stated that Charles Edward William Proctor was killed on June 25th 1916, by a shell whilst on sentry duty. They are believed to be one and the same person.
Charles Proctor was buried in Cabaret-Rouge British Cemetery, Souchez, Pas de Calais. Location I.A.21. It was from this cemetery, on 25th May 2000, that the remains of an unknown Canadian soldier were exhumed, to be placed in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the foot of the National War Memorial in Ottawa.