William Horace Charles
Able Seaman William Horace Charles – Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, Nelson Battalion, Royal Naval Division
Early Life
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| William Horace Charles |
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| Chile, Civil Registration |
The story of William Horace Charles begins in Chile, where he was born in 1897. He was the son of David Charles and Emma Mathias, who had married in Swansea in 1893. His birth was formally recorded in the Chile Civil Registrations.
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| 1901 Census |
By the time of the 1901 Census, the Charles family had returned to Wales and were living at 72 Weston Place, Sketty. David, aged 36, was employed as an engine driver (stationary) at the copper works, while Emma was 28. Their children were Amelia F. (5) and William H. (4), both born in Chile, and David S. (2), born in Swansea.
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| 1911 Census |
At the 1911 Census, the family was living at 20 Vivian Road, Sketty. David, then 47, continued working as an engine driver, while Emma was 38. Their children were listed as Amelia Flora (15), William Horace (14), an errand boy, David Trevor (12), Frederick Leslie (10), Richard Renneth (8), Glyn Mathias (5), Annie Isabel (3), and Averil Roma (1).
Military Service
In May 1915, William enlisted in the Royal Naval
Volunteer Reserve. He was ranked as an Able Seaman and posted to the
Nelson Battalion of the Royal Naval Division.
His service took him to several theatres of war. He first
spent three months in action at the Dardanelles, before being sent for two
months at Salonika, followed by a short period in Egypt. From March
1916, he was transferred to the Western Front in France, where the
Royal Naval Division became heavily engaged in the fighting on the Somme.
The Nelson Battalion
The Nelson Battalion was one of the original units of
the Royal Naval Division (RND), a formation created in 1914 by Winston
Churchill, then First Lord of the Admiralty. The division was made up of
surplus naval reservists who were not required for sea service, along with
Royal Marines and volunteers.
The battalions were named after famous naval leaders — Nelson,
Drake, Howe, and Hood — and, although sailors by training, they fought as
infantry on land. The Nelson Battalion first served at Antwerp in 1914,
before enduring the harsh conditions of Gallipoli in 1915. After further
service in Salonika and Egypt, the battalion was sent to France
in 1916, joining the battles on the Western Front.
By the time of the Battle of the Ancre in November
1916, the battalion was part of the 188th Brigade, 63rd
(Royal Naval) Division. Its role was to assault heavily fortified German
positions near Beaumont-Hamel, advancing through freezing, waterlogged
ground under artillery and machine-gun fire.
Death
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| South Wales Daily Post |
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| British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records |
On 13th November 1916, during the Battle of the Ancre, Able Seaman William Horace Charles was reported missing amid the fighting. His death was later confirmed, and he was just 19 years old. The news of his death was reported in the South Wales Daily Post in December 1916, bringing the tragic confirmation to his family and the Sketty community.
Burial
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| William Horace Charles Ancre British Cemetery, nr Beaumont-Hamel credit - fidnagrave |
Legacy
Although born far from Swansea in Chile, William grew
up in Sketty and became part of the community whose sons would be lost to the
Great War. His service across multiple theatres — the Dardanelles, Salonika,
Egypt, and France — reflects the global reach of the conflict and the
varied paths taken by men of the Royal Naval Division.
His name is commemorated on the St. Paul’s Church war
memorial, Sketty, ensuring he is remembered locally, alongside his comrades
who also gave their lives.
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