Sergeant Charles Harold Honess
| Date of Birth | c. 1879 |
|---|---|
| Age at Death | 38 |
| Date of Death | 15 April 1917 |
| Service Number | 113222 |
| Military Service | Royal Engineers (G Special Company) |
| Merton Address | 19, St. Georges Avenue, Raynes Park |
| Local Memorial | St. Saviour’s Church, Raynes Park |
Additional Information
Born in Kennington in 1879, Charles was the son of Harold and Sarah Honess. The couple also had six other children – Annie, Bertie, Ernest, Arthur, Frederick and Minnie.
During his working life, Charles was a schoolmaster at the Wesleyan Boarding School in Bury St. Edmunds. In September 1899 he married Annie Stewart and the couple set up home at 434 Kingston Road, Bushey Mead, Wimbledon. Between 1900 and 1905, they had four children - Violet, Cyril, Harold and Leslie.
During the war Charles was a Sergeant in G Special Company, Royal Engineers. This was one of a number of specialist units formed during the war, to develop a response to the enemy use of poison gas. In early May 1915, General Kitchener, Secretary of State for War, authorised retaliatory measures and research work was started at Porton and Helfaut near St. Omer. The British firm, Kestner-Kellner Alkali Company, manufactured chlorine gas and started trials at Runcorn in June. Special companies of technically skilled men were now set up to handle the new weapon. Commanded by Major Foulkes of the Royal Engineers, the first units were assigned to the British First Army for active service on the Western Front in September 1915.
During the first battle of Bullecourt on 11 April 1917, an Australian company briefly captured some of the enemy trenches, only to be let down by lack of artillery cover. The men had to retreat and 3000 were killed during the process. Charles Honess died in the aftermath of a raid to gas enemy trenches to the east of Bullecourt. This was an overnight attack on 14 April. Gas was deployed using Livens projectors, small mortar-like weapons - of the 150 Projectors available on the night, 135 were actually used. Ten minutes later the enemy responded with artillery fire and Charles was killed whilst returning to camp. He was 38 years old.
He was buried at Mory Abbey Military Cemetery in the Pas de Calais region of France. At the time of his death, his wife and children were living at 19, St. Georges Avenue, Raynes Park and Charles is also commemorated at the local church, St.Saviour’s.