POTTER [BEM] Charles William


No.330756, Flight Sergeant, Charles William POTTER B.E.M.
Aged 43


Royal Air Force
Died at Home on 23rd October 1945


Charles William Potter was born in Sunderland on 14th July 1902 (3rd qtr 1902 Sunderland 10a:649) son of James and Charlotte POTTER (née SMITH)

1911 census...Aged 9, he was at 2 Evelyn Street, Sunderland, with his father James POTTER [37] bricklayer; his mother Charlotte [33]; widowed grandmother Margaret SMITH [63]; sister Margaret [5] and brother Harry [4]. All were born in Sunderland.

He married Violet Kathleen LEFTLEY in Rougham in 1929. They had a daughter, Patricia in 1930



He enlisted in 1919 as a boy entrant. A fitter, he served in Egypt and Iraq with 30 Sqdn and 55 Sqdn and in 1926, as a Leading Aircraftman, he transferred to the Reserves, recalled from Reserves and finally discharged on 26th April 1930. proceeding to The Garage, Rougham Hall.

At the end of WW2 he was serving at RAF Uxbridge, 100 Personnel Dispersal Centre and was actually on demob leave himself when he died suddenly at home in Rougham from coronary thrombosis.
Little has been found regarding his WW2 service, except that in the Bury Free Press article.

He was awarded the British Empire medal in the 1946 New Years Honours list.




Charles Potter BEM is buried in Rougham(St Mary's) Churchyard

click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details


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