DOCKERILL Charles William

The birth of Charles William Dockerill is registered in the June Quarter 1892 under the Stourbridge Registration District. The marriage of Charles W. Dockerill to Emmie Smart is registered in the December Quarter 1914 under the Stourbridge Registration District.

Charles Dockerill was born in 1892 and his family lived originally at The Cliff, Stourbridge. He attended St. John’s School and then went to work at the nearby Turney’s leather works.  He was married and by 1914 was living at Workmen’s Dwellings, Vicarage Road, Wollaston.  Charles volunteered for the Worcester Territorials in 1914 and joined the 1st/7th Battalion.  They went overseas in March 1915 and acquired front line experience in quiet sectors of the Western Front for the rest of that year. By the start of 1916 they were stationed at the northern end of the Somme sector near Hebuterne.  Both the German shelling and the winter weather were punishing for the troops and casualties were taken. A strong German night raid resulted in casualties on the 17th February and this may have been where Lance Corporal Charles Dockerill suffered serious wounds.  He was taken to a Casualty Clearing Station where he died on the 5th March.  He was 24 years of age.