Pte 50138 Charles Frederick Howden

• Age: 29
• From: Sunderland
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• D.O.W Friday 3rd August 1917
• Commemorated at: Mendinghem B C Proven
  Panel Ref: III.E.34

Charles Frederick Howden was born in 1888 in Sunderland, the son of James Howden and his wife Mary Jane (nee Beadnell) who married in the June quarter of 1871.

The 1891 Census finds the family living at Lawton Street, Sunderland. Charles F. is aged 2 and lives with his parents and four siblings. His father is 39 years of age, born in Sunderland and locomotive foreman for the North East Railway Company, whilst his mother is 42 also born in Sunderland as are all of the children. His siblings are shown as; James F. aged 13, Elizabeth J. is aged 9, Henry is 7 and John is 5. 

By 1901 the family were living at Station Masters House, 1 Ferguson Street, Sunderland. Charles is aged 12 and lives with his parents and two elder siblings. His father is a 49 year old locomotive foreman and his mother is now 52 years of age. His brother Henry is a 17 year old locomotive fitter, while his brother Jiohn is a 15 year old rope maker.     

The 1911 Census shows the family living at 1 North Eastern Terrace, Sunderland. His father James is now aged 59, and works as a locomotive inspector for the North East Railway Company, whilst his mother, Mary Jane, is aged 62. They advise that they have been married for 39 years and have had ten children of which five had died. Charles Frederick is the only child living at home and is aged 22 and employed as a clerk with North East Railway Company.

Prior to the outbreak of the war he had been employed as a goods clerk in the Sunderland, Forwarding Office of the North East Railway, a company that he had been with for 14 years.

He married Louisa (nee Sadler) in the fourth quarter of 1915. Louisa was born 03^rd July 1891 in Blackburn and was working as a domestic servant at 12 Eden Street, Sunderland during the 1911 Census. They had a daughter Mary Louisa born 02^nd July 1916 

He joined the N.E.R. Reserve Battalion on 29 May 1916 enlisting in Sunderland and was serving in the 17th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 50138 when he died of wounds on the 03rd August, 1917, aged 29, during the Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele).

His wife Louisa was awarded a pension of 21/9d with effect from 10^th July 1918.

He now lies in Mendinghem British Cemetery, Belgium. The Inscription on his headstone reads:

“SON OF J. & M.J. HOWDEN SUNDERLAND DIED OF WOUNDS”

Mendinghem, like Dozinghem and Bandaghem, were the popular names given by the troops to groups of casualty clearing stations posted to this area during the First World War. In July 1916, the 46th (1st/1st Wessex) Casualty Clearing Station was opened at Proven and this site was chosen for its cemetery. The first burials took place in August 1916. In July 1917, four further clearing stations arrived at Proven in readiness for the forthcoming Allied offensive on this front and three of them, the 46th, 12th and 64th, stayed until 1918. From May to July 1918, while the German offensive was at its height, field ambulances were posted at Proven. The cemetery was closed (except for one later burial) in September 1918. There are now 2,391 Commonwealth burials of the First World War in this cemetery and 52 German war graves. The cemetery was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield.

We currently have no further information on Charles Frederick Howden. If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.

Grateful thanks are extended to the National Railway Museum for permission to use the photograph of Charles Frederick Howden