Private Charles Bentley (1878-1916)

Charles was born in June 1878 in Kilnwick . Son of the late Richard and Maria Bentley (nee Ward), of Kilnwick, Cranswick, Beverley, Yorkshire.

In 1911 as a 32 year old single man, he was a farm foreman at Decoy Farm, Scarborough.

The next record of Charles is his attestation papers in August 1915 when he enlisted in Toronto, Canada with the 83rd Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force at the age of 37.

Charles’ photo appeared in the Beverley Guardian on 2 September 1916 with the caption of “4 Brothers at the Front”. They shared the same paternal grandparents but Charles was actually cousin to the other three.

Within two weeks of this photograph being printed, Charles had been killed in action during the Allied attack to capture the Somme village of Courcelette in September 1916.

Charles is remembered with honour on the Vimy Memorial, Canada’s largest overseas National Memorial.