Private Charles Melton

Charles Melton was born in 1891 to a farm labourers family. The Melton children attended Stickford school and appear regularly in the Punishment Book. Charles joined up at Easter 1916, and was sent to the Battle of the Somme that summer. Unfortunately Charles was wounded and taken to a Casualty Clearing Station at Heilly Station where he died on 21 September 1916 aged 25. Charles is buried at Heilly Station Cemetery in a shared grave. During this time, soldiers could be buried up to 3 in a grave to save time and space as numbers were so great.