BORN BEVERLEY 1894. SON OF ARTHUR AND ELIZABETH CRAGGY, THIS ADDRESS. WORKED AS A BARMAN. ENLISTED HULL 16/9/1914. SERVED IN EGYPT. KILLED AT SERRE, ON 13/11/1916, AGED 22. HIS DEATH WAS REPORTED IN THE HDM, 09/1/1917, 10/08/1917 & 13/11/1919. HIS MEDALS WERE SENT TO FIANCEE, MRS AMY FRITH, AT 2 REGENT STREET, ANLABY ROAD, HULL. HIS TWO BROTHERS SERVED IN THE HULL PALS. HE IS PICTURED IN THE HDM, ON 22/05/1916. *
Hull Pals Memorial Post. PRIVATE CHARLES WILLIAM CRAGGY 12/329. Born in 1894, Charles is interesting in that he wasn’t Charles at all, but Frederick William Craggy. He started life the fourth of (eventually) nine children to Arthur and Elizabeth Craggy of 50 Beecroft Street, St Georges Road, Hull. A Barman by trade he enlisted on 16th September 1914 at City Hall, and it was there he gave his Christian name as ‘Charles’. Odd, because he was old enough to enlist, but he wanted to throw someone off the scent of his having joined up. A mystery then. ‘Charles’ was killed in action on the Somme on 13th November 1916, and his body was never recovered. His name is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial; he was 20 years old. His father wrote to the army requesting he be remembered for his real name, but they refused on the grounds that their records were there records and could not be altered; he also asked after his son’s pension. This, and his possessions, had been left in a will to Mrs Amy Firth of 2 Regent Street, Anlaby Road, Hull seemingly Charles’ common-law wife. My guess would be father hadn’t approved.
