MELLOR Charles William

Appears in the Worcester/Worcestershire Roll of Honour Book for army casualties located in Worcester Cathedral.

1901 Census
Hylton Road, No 4 Soden(?) Villas
James Mellor, Head, age 31
Alice Mellor, wife, age 33
Charles W. Mellor, son, age 10
Florence E. Mellor, dau, age 7
Ada N. Mellor, dau, age 3

The following report appears in the Kidderminster Times, 19th May 1917:
Private Charles William Mellor, 69, 16th Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment.  Killed in action.  Only son of Mr and Mrs James Mellor, 1 Offley Street, Barbourne, Worcester.  He was only 26 and formerly in employ of Mr Creese, Broad Street, Worcester and afterwards went to Coleshill.  The report includes a photograph of Charles Mellor.

A photograph of Private C.W. Mellor of Worcester can be found in Berrow’s Worcester Journal Supplement, Saturday 28th April 1917, available at Worcestershire Archives.

The following information has been researched by Geoff Hill:
1911 Census
Boarder at Blythe Road, Coleshill, Warwickshire
Charles Mellor, aged 20, draper’s assistant, born in Halstead, Essex
Mellor family resident at 1 Offley Street, Barbourne
James William (father), tanner leatherworks, mother and 2 sisters.

The Battle of Arras opened on the 9th April 1917. The 16th Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment was a component of the 95th Infantry Brigade. It was engaged in the Battle of Vimy Ridge, which was an action right at the start of the Battle of Arras. Vimy Ridge was the objective of the Canadian Corps during the opening phase of the British First Army attack at Arras.

Capturing the majority of the ridge on the first day, the Canadians pushed over the crest on the second day, reaching their final objective outside Givenchy-en-Gohelle on the 12th April. On the 13th April, the 5th Division relieved the 4th Canadian Division while the 15th Infantry Brigade and 95th Infantry Brigade took over the front line and moved up the south bank of the River Souchez through the Bois de l’Hirondelle. On the 14th April, they were halted by a strongly fortified defensive line between the Cite du Bois Moyen Electricity Works and La Coulotte, on the outskirts of Avion.

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