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CHARLES PHILLIPS PROBERT 24th August 1895 – 9th July 1917 Charles Phillips Probert was born in Burghill, Herefordshire on 24th August 1895 but lived for most of his short life in Penarth. He was the son of Thomas and Emma (nee Lewis) Probert. Thomas was a coachman and Emma a Cook at Tillington Court in Burghill and they were married in 1885. Charles has two older brother:s William, born in 1887, Thomas James, born in 1889 and a twin sister, Ethel Leonora. Sometime between 1895 and 1901 the family moved to Penarth, living in Coast Guard Lane, and in 1911 the whole family were living together in Oakland Cottage, 56 Plymouth Road, Penarth. Charles was working as an apprentice florist and Ethel a milliner’s apprentice. Charles reached his 19th birthday on 24th August 1914 and Britain had declared war on Germany on 4th August 1914, and was actively seeking volunteers to join the armed forces. Charles did not wait for conscription but joined up fairly soon, as we know that he disembarked in France to join his regiment on 28th August 1915. Charles served with the Royal Field Artillery as a Gunner, his Service Number 13853. He was with LXXIV Brigade , which was made up of 232, 233 and 234 Batteries and 74 Brigade Ammunition Column served with 16th (Irish Division). In 1915 they were in action in The Battle of Loos. In 1916 they fought on the Somme, in the Battle of Flers-Courclette and the Battle of Morval, capturing Lesboeufs. In 1917 Charles would have certainly seen action in The German Retreat to the Hindenburg Line, the Third Battle of Ypres and the Battle of Cambrai. Much has been written by historians about the continuing conflict at Ypres throughout 1914-1918. The town was strategically important to the British and Germans as it was the gateway to the French channel ports. Fighting was intense and continuous artillery bombardment by Germany resulted in the complete destruction of the town. The Western Front Association has extensive accounts of the battles; this is an extract which details the situation around the time of Charles’s death.