GASSIDE Charles Ernest

Charles Gasside was born and baptised in Blockley in 1886, his father James was an agricultural labourer.  He was at home in 1891, and, following the death of his father in 1899, he was living at home in 1901 with his widowed mother and siblings, working as an agricultural labourer.  On the 1911 census Charles aged 24 was employed as a labourer and resided at Violet Cottage, Days Lane, Blockley with his widowed mother and his sisters.

He was an early volunteer for army service in World War 1.  Within six weeks of the outbreak of war, he enlisted at Chipping Campden on 13th September 1914 and joined the Gloucestershire Regiment in Bristol as a Private.  He gave his occupation as a mason. Charles was posted to the 10th battalion of the regiment and sailed with them to France in August 1915.  The 10th (Service) battalion had been formed in September 1914, one of the New Army formations, and after training deployed to France on 8th August 1915.

In July 1916 Charles was wounded in the shoulder (or thigh or leg – sources differ), and was repatriated, spending some two months in hospital in Manchester.  Unusually he did not return to his unit, but was posted, while in hospital, to the 16th Battalion, Training Reserve at Sleaford, the new name, under the general reorganisation of training units, for the Gloucestershire Regiment’s 11th Reserve Battalion.  A little over two months later, in early December 1916, he was transferred to “BEF” (British Expeditionary Force) and sailed for France.  On arrival he was posted to the 9th Battalion of the Infantry Brigade.  He remained with them until he died in action in May 1917.

From his Army Service Records:
Separation Allowance for a Soldier’s Dependants, undated, from the Officer paying dependant’s allowances, Army Pay Office, to OC 10th Gloucester, B Company:
Separation allowance at the rate of [unreadable, perhaps ten] shillings a week has been granted to Elizabeth Gasside, a dependant of Regimental Number 12493, Private, C.E. Gasside of the unit under your command subject to an allotment of 5 pence per day, which will be deducted from the soldier’s pay from [unreadable].

In response to a request from OIC Records to Elizabeth Gasside for details of the living relatives of Charles Gasside, “in order that I may be enabled to dispose of the plaque and scroll in commemoration of … [etc]” Elizabeth provided the following information. Signed by her on 11th June 1919, countersigned by […] Holbroke, Doctor of Divinity, Blockley:
Widow none
Father deceased
Brothers: full blood Harry Gasside, aged 40, resident 911 Chiswell Road, Winson Green, Birmingham
Half blood none
Sisters: full blood Mrs C. Jones, aged 36, resident 48 Malvern Hill Road, Nechells Birmingham, Mrs C. Keyte, aged 30, resident Paxford near Campden, Gloucestershire, Kate Maria Gasside, aged 24, resident Violet Cottage, Day’s Lane, Blockley

Memo from the War Office to OIC Rifle Records, Winchester, dated 10th October 1919, states that the personal property and medals of S/28466, Pte Charles Ernest Gasside, 9th Battalion Rifle Regiment, to be despatched to Mrs Elizabeth Gasside, Violet Cottage, Day’s Lane, Blockley, Worcestershire.

Disposal of Soldier’s Effects:
Charles Ernest Gasside Private, S/28466, 9/Rifle Brigade, died 3/5/17 in action
GBP5 15s 6d plus GBP12 War Gratuity to mother Elizabeth, sole legatee

Receipt of medals etc:
Charles’s mother Elizabeth signed receipts as follows: 30/1/1920: unspecified scroll
30/4/1921: [British] War Medal
11/9/1921: Victory medal
22/9/1921: 1914 [sic] – 1915 Star

From the medals card and Brigade medals roll:
Charles E Gasside, Gloucestershire Regiment, Private, 12943
Rifle Brigade, Private, S/28466, awarded the Victory Medal, the British War Medal and the 1915 Star
France 9/8/15
Killed in action

From Gloucestershire Regiment Records list:
Charles Gasside, born Blockley, Private, 12903, enlisted Campden, transferred to 9 Rifle Brigade, 28466, killed in action France

Charles Gasside has no known grave, the photograph available shows his name on the Arras Memorial.