HOWELL Charles Joseph

Charles Howell was the son of Mr C. E. Howell who lived at Wollescote House and later at Abbotsford, Pedmore.  He was commissioned in the York and Lancaster Regiment and served throughout the 1915 Gallipoli campaign.  He then went with his battalion to Mesopotamia and was attached to the Machine Gun Corps.  The fall of Kut to the Turkish forces had been a very serious blow to the Allies and its recapture was the main task for nearly a year.  Several attempts were made to advance up the Tigris, but both heat and geography helped the defenders.  In December 1916 a concerted effort was made to advance again and on the 25th January 1917 a major attack was made on the outlying defences beside the river Hai.  Although there was no breakthrough, the Turks fell back and Kut was taken.  Casualties, however, were high and they included Lieutenant Charles Howell.  He is also commemorated in the Roman Catholic Church where a special memorial of Carrara marble was placed by his parents.