C.+CHELL

Chell, Charles, Private, 10740, 2nd Battalion, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment Born Ashbourne, Derbyshire Enlisted Derby Resided Ashbourne, Derbyshire Killed in action 13th October 1914

Aged 25 Son of Arthur and Sarah Ellen Chell, of Green Lane, Clifton, Ashbourne, Derbyshire. Buried in Le Mans West Cemetery, Plot 38, 1914-18 Row A, Grave 51

Ashbourne News, 23rd October 1914 Charles Chell was 24 years of age, and was nearing the completion of seven years service with the Sherwood Foresters. He was wounded in the back and spine at the Battle of the Aisne, and died in hospital on the 13th October. A letter was received by his parents from Acting Chaplain Laurie of the 1st Stationary Hospital: “Dear Mr. Chell, - You will probably have already received from the War Office the sad news of your son's death in this hospital. He became rapidly worse after my last letter to you, and passed to his rest and reward very peacefully two days ago. He was most wonderfully patient, and won the affection of all who looked after him. I saw him every few hours regularly until the end, and he was always most attentive and responsive to religious ministration. Personally he attracted me very much. He was too weak to speak at great length, but once or twice he spoke in loving terms of home and his home people. He suffered greatly, as he had been wounded in the back in the region of the spine, and was paralysed in all the lower part of the body. There is thus to some extent a merciful aspect to his death..... P.S. - Before Chell died he asked me to write for him to –. Will you be so good as to let her read this letter, and to tell her that she was in his last thoughts up to the end. I gather that he was to have been married soon. Poor girl, her sorrow will be very great, the more that she had won the affection of so fine a character.”

1911 Census Aged 22 A Private of the 2nd Battalion, Sherwood Foresters <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Stationed at the Crownhill Hutments, Plympton, Devon