Pte 15784 Charles Leslie Bibby

• Age: 24
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• D.O.W Thursday 17th August 1916
• Commemorated at: Abbeville Cc
  Panel Ref: VI.J.4

Charles Leslie was born on 07th October 1891 in Liverpool and was baptised 24th January 1892 in the Wesleyan chapel, Garston. He was the son of Joseph Bibby and his wife Ruth (nee Pye) who were married on 01st March 1881 in Quernmore Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, Lancaster. His father was the owner of J. Bibby & Son Ltd – Seed Crushing and Oil Cake Mills in Liverpool. 

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 41 Cambridge Road, Southport.

Parents Joseph and Ruth with children Alice K, John P, James E, Joseph M, Charles L, Mary B, Henry P and Geoffrey B. 
 Geoffrey Barnet Bibby sadly died in 1901

The 1911 Census shows the family have moved and are now living at The Priory, Bidston , Wirral.

Parents Joseph and Ruth with children Alice Kirby, John Pye, Joseph Morton, Charles Leslie and four live in servants.

Charles Leslie Bibby’s service records show that he enlisted on 01st September 1914 at St George's Hall in Liverpool, joining the 17th Battalion as Private 15784. He was 22 years and 330 days old and is described as being 5’ 5½” tall, weighing 134lbs with a 35½” chest, with brown eyes and dark hair.

He was billeted at Prescot Watch Factory from 14^th September 1914, he trained there and also at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 17th Battalion alongside the other three Pals battalions left Liverpool via Prescot Station for further training at Belton Park, Grantham. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain. 

He arrived in France on 07^th November 1915.

Charles Leslie died of wounds on 17th August 1916, aged 24, at 12 Stationary Hospital in France.

He now rests at Abbeville Communal Cemetery.

For much of the First World War, Abbeville was headquarters of the Commonwealth lines of communication and No.3 BRCS, No.5 and No.2 Stationary Hospitals were stationed there variously from October 1914 to January 1920. The communal cemetery was used for burials from November 1914 to September 1916, the earliest being made among the French military graves. The extension was begun in September 1916. During the early part of the Second World War, Abbeville was a major operational aerodrome, but the town fell to the Germans at the end of May 1940. On 4 June, an attempt was made by the 51st Division, in conjunction with the French, to break the German bridgehead, but without success. Towards the end of 1943, eight large ski shaped buildings appeared near Abbeville. These proved to be storage units for flying bomb components an they were heavily bombed by Commonwealth air forces. Abbeville was retaken on 4 September 1944 by Canadian and Polish units. Abbeville Communal Cemetery contains 774 Commonwealth burials of First World War and 30 from the Second. 

His service record includes telegrams showing that he was dangerously ill and another asking for a warrant to be sent to his sister Beatrice Bibby at the Waldorf Hotel, Aldwych who will at once proceed to Abbeyville to visit her brother and will pay her own expenses. It is not recorded whether Beatrice managed to visit Charles before he died.

Probate for Charles Leslie shows that he left his brothers John Pye, James Edward and Joseph Morton the sum of £19,989.10.2d. (£1,750,850.50 at 2020 )

His death was reported on 19th August 1916 in the Liverpool Daily Post

Mr and Mrs Joseph Bibby, The Priory, Bidston, have been advised of the death of their son, C. Leslie Bibby, a private in the "Pals," who has died of wounds at Abbeville, France. He had been previously wounded, and had rejoined his regiment before the recent push - in which he was wounded - commenced. He and his younger brother, now lying wounded at Southmead, Bristol, were amongst the first to join the "Pals," and along with an elder brother, Mr. J Morton Bibby, a director of J. Bibby and Sons, Ltd., also wounded - they all went out to France together as machine-gunners in November last year.

His brother Joseph Morton Bibby was killed in action on 03rd May 1917 aged 28. His body was not recovered from the battlefield or was subsequently lost as his name is recorded on the Arras Memorial in France. Joseph had originally enlisted as a Liverpool Pal. (see his record on this site)

Charles Leslie Bibby is commemorated on the following memorials :

Southport Civic Memorial

Birkenhead Civic Memorial

Wallasey Golf Club

J.Bibby and Sons Ltd

Bidston Civic Memorial

Memorials of Old Birkonians 1914-1918

Both Charles Leslie and Joseph Morton Bibby are mentioned on the grave of their sister Alice Kirby Bibby in Holy Cross Churchyard, Woodchurch, Wirral.

Their Father Joseph Bibby of The Priory, Bidston died 11/3/1940 and left his sons John Pye, James Edward and Henry Percy (Seed Crushers) the sum of £289,474, worth £16,316,478.15 in 2020.

Their Mother Ruth Bibby of Linkside, Bidston Road, Birkenhead, died 15/12/1946 and left her sons John Pye, James Edward, Henry Percy and daughter Mary Beatrice Sharples (wife of Frank Deeks Sharples) the sum of £106,759.15.5d. worth £4,500,656,41 in 2020.

The younger brother mentioned as being wounded and in Southmead, Bristol was Henry Percy Bibby who was a Private - 15813 in the 17th Kings Liverpool. He had enlisted 1/9/1914 in Liverpool but was honourably discharged on 6/4/1917 with disabilities and was awarded the Silver War Badge. He also received the Victory and British War Medal in 1919. He married Mintose (Minnie) M Chadwick 17/12/1929 at Higher Bridge Street Methodist Chapel, Bolton and they went on to have three children. Henry Percy Bibby died at Springfield, Church Lane, Neston on 1/12/1973 and left over £2,500.000.

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