No.290071, Lance Corporal, Bertie CHALLIS
Aged 29
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Bertie Challiss was born in Brandon (Thetford Q3-1888 4B:367) son of William and Lucy CHALLISS (née THOMPSON). The family name is variously CHALLISS, CHALLIS or CHALLICE. 1891 census...Aged 2, he was at Thetford Road, Brandon with his father William CHALLISS [31] a timber merchant's labourer; his mother Lucy [31] and brother Ernest [5]. All were born in Brandon. 1901 census...Aged 12, he was at Thetford Road with his parents (father now a horsekeeper at sawmill); brother Ernest; sisters Ethel [9] and Eva [1] both born in Brandon. The census has only recorded initials rather than given names. In 1910 he married Brandon born Kate SNARE. 1911 census...Aged 22, a labourer at sawmill, he was at Thetford Road, Brandon with his wife Kate [30] and son Bertie [2 months], both born in Brandon. His parents were in Thetford Road, Brandon with sisters Eva and Muriel [6] born Brandon. Sister Ethel was a housemaid in Sutton, Surrey. |
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He enlisted in Brandon.
The war diary has:- "9th- Moved from support trenches in the early morning for attack on POLDERHOEK CHATEAU. Coys got on their kicking off position about 4 am. Very dark night and pouring with rain. Companies had a very difficult task to get on the tape but they managed it successfully, much to the credit of their Coy commanders. Attacked the Chateau at 5:20 am. Attack was a failure owing to Battalion on our right apparently getting held up and losing direction. We had heavy casualties in officers and men." A further report has:- "1. Battalion formed up at zero - 1:30 "A" Company on the left - "C" Coy on the right - "B" Coy in close support - "D" Coy in section reserve. "D" Coy remained in reserve for counter attack purposes. 2. Our barrage lifting, the front line went forward but "C" Coy and half of "A" Coy made a right incline which brought them off their line and facing the Chateau. Nos 1 and 2 Platoons followed the line, No 2 Platoon went slightly too much to their left and on reaching the objective found themselves isolated in front of the right of the Cheshire Regiment. They held on there till relieved on the night of the 10th-11th. No 1 Platoon also went well forward about 400 yards. Then finding they had lost touch on the right, efforts were made to regain touch. 6 am The Officer Commanding sent back a Sergeant to find out the situation. The Sergeant was wounded. 9 am He then went back with a runner and was himself wounded. 9 pm Eventually the remnants of the Platoon rejoined the original front line by night. 5:30 am Half "A" Coy and "C" Coy went half right and found themselves up against the Chateau 6 am A retrograde movement on the part of these companies was checked by O.C. "B" Coy who threw his company in. By this time the enemy had opened cross M.G. fire and was bombing from wing trenches near the Chateau and the barrage had gone on. No further progress was made. By night the Companies were re organised and the old line held." If that all seems a bit muddled and disjointed, that appears to have been the case on 9th October 1917 at Polderhoek. CWGC have 43 of the 1st Norfolks killed, only 15 with a known grave. Bertie was found much later, identified by his disc and eventually buried in nearby Hooge Crater Cemetery in April 1919. Another Brandon man, Bertie DOCKING was killed in the same attack see here click here to go to the Brandon at War website for more information
Bertie was found here photo: Rodney Gibson click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details |
