CHAINEY Charles Edward

Charles was born in Blockley on 9th December 1886, one of 14 children most of whom were boys. His father was the licensee of the Crown Inn. Charles was at home with his family in 1891. By 1901 his father had become a farmer, as well as retaining the licence of The Crown, and Charles was at the inn with a brother, both of them described as farmer’s sons, the rest of the family were at the farm.

In 1910 he followed his brother Arthur, who had emigrated to Canada two years before. He travelled alone from Liverpool to Halifax, Nova Scotia, giving his occupation as a labourer. No information has yet been found about his life in Canada until he signed up to join the Canadian Expeditionary Force following the outbreak of World War 1.

Charles enlisted on 20th September 1914 at Valcartier, Quebec which is a large Canadian forces base just north of Quebec city, and which was the primary training base for the First Canadian Contingent in 1914. On his attestation paper he gave his occupation as a farmer and his next of kin as his father, William Frederick Chainey of Blockley, Worcestershire, England. He had previously had an army medical at Valcartier on 27th August 1914 when he was described as 5 feet 10 inches tall with a ruddy complexion, light brown eyes and light brown hair.

Charles was wounded in 1917 and brought to the UK where he died in hospital in Bournemouth from tetanus resulting from his wounds. His body was taken to Blockley for burial, the circumstances of his death being noted in the margin of his burial record.

Charles was one of four brothers who emigrated, probably all of them to Canada, prior to World War 1. No evidence has been seen that his brother Arthur, who preceded Charles to Canada, or his married brother Harry, who followed in 1912, fought in World War 1. A younger brother Lionel fought, and died, with New Zealand forces in the war. He also probably first emigrated to Canada. Lionel is also commemorated on Blockley War Memorial.

A photograph of Gunner C. Chainey of Blockley can be found in Berrow’s Worcester Journal Supplement, Saturday 26th January 1918, available at Worcestershire Archives.