Person:Charles Welch (13)

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Charles John Welch
d.7 Aug 1915
Facts and Events
Name Charles John Welch
Gender Male
Birth? Est 1895 Maiden Newton, Dorset, England
Military? 7 Aug 1915 Private. 10375, 5th Bn., Dorsetshire Regiment.
Death? 7 Aug 1915 Killed in Action.
Burial? TurkeyHelles Memorial, No known grave

The Allied landings in Gallipoli commenced on 25th April 1915. The 5th (Service) Battalion were asembled by 1st July at Whitley Camp near Godalming in Surrey. On 2nd July the Battalion entrained for Liverpool and embarked on the “Aquitania”, sailing at 1.30pm the following day for the Mediterranean. On 4th July the ship was attacked by a submarine when a torpedo passed 100 yards to its stern. The “Aquitania” arrived at Lemnos at 7.00am on 10th July and the Battalion embarked for Imbros, arriving there at 10.30am. Just before dawn on 7th August the Battalion started to land at Suvla Bay (“A” Beach), having sailed from Imbros at 5.00pm the previous evening. It is probable that Private Charles Welch was killed in action during the beach landing by enemy shrapnel which, because of its intensity, was halted but continued at “B” Beach the following day.

Charles John Welch was born in Maiden Newton. At the time of his enlisting at Dorchester he was living in Winterbourne Kingston.