Pte 47317 Charles Frederick Lumb

Charles Frederick was born in Southport in July 1880  the son of George Lumb and his wife Emma (nee Gill).

The 1891 Census shows the family are living at Everton Road, Birkdale. Charles is shown as 10 years of age and is living with his parents and two sisters. His father is shown as a Printer born in Huddersfield in 1853, whilst his mother is shown as having been born in Salford in 1844.His two sisters, both born in Southport are shown as; Mary E. b. 1879 and Alice M. b.1883.

By 1901 the family have moved to 82 Cemetery Road, Birkdale.His father is inexplicably recorded as Joseph F a house painter born in Huddersfield whilst his mother is now recorded as having been born in Manchester in 1842. Charles is now 20 and his employment is recorded as a Blind Maker. He has 2 siblings listed, those being his two sisters from the Census of 1891. They  are still at home and Mary is now a domestic nurse whilst Alice is a stocking maker. Also present is David Lumb the grandfather of the children, he is 74 and from Huddersfield. There is also a boarder in the property a baby Gladys M. Kennedy born in 1901.   

By 1911 the family have moved again to 152 Duke Street, Southport. Charles is single and a window blind maker. His parents are both present in the household with his father again recorded as George F. Sister Mary Elizabeth is still in the household as is the child shown as a boarder in 1901. She is now listed as Gladys Mary Lumb their adopted daughter. Also present are a boarder and a visitor. 

Charles married Margaret Ann McKeown in 1912 at St Peter's Church in Birkdale. They had two children; John Frederick born in the December quarter of 1913 and Mary Emma born in the March quarter of 1916. 

Charles was serving with the 19th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 47317 when he died of wounds on 15th April 1917 age 36.

He now rests at Etaples Military Cemetery where his headstone bears the epitaph:

“THY WILL BE DONE”

 

During the First World War, the area around Etaples was the scene of immense concentrations of Commonwealth reinforcement camps and hospitals. It was remote from attack, except from aircraft, and accessible by railway from both the northern or the southern battlefields. In 1917, 100,000 troops were camped among the sand dunes and the hospitals, which included eleven general, one stationary, four Red Cross hospitals and a convalescent depot, could deal with 22,000 wounded or sick. In September 1919, ten months after the Armistice, three hospitals and the Q.M.A.A.C. convalescent depot remained.

The cemetery contains 10,771 Commonwealth burials of the First World War, the earliest dating from May 1915. 35 of these burials are unidentified. It is the largest CWGC cemetery in France, and was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.

He was reported as died of wounds in the Liverpool Daily Post on 19th May 1917.

CWGC record his age as 37 but by the birth records he was 36.

Soldiers Effects and Pension to widow Margaret Ann and children John Frederick and Mary Emma.

 

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