CHARLES+EDWIN+STONE+VC



Stone, Charles Edwin, VC MM, Gunner, 22604, Royal Field Artillery Disembarked for service 10th September 1915

Charles Edwin Stone was born on 4th February 11889 at Street Lane, Denby. He was the tenth of 13 children. He attended Pottery School and following his mother, Mary Ellen Stone's death on 21st May 1906, lived with his brother Joseph at Bullsmoor, Nottingham Road, Belper. Charles became a miner at Denby and Salterwood Collieries. A keen sportsman, he acted as trainer of the Belper Congregational Church football team.

Enlisting in the Royal Field Artillery as a gunner in September 1914, he was posted to France, where he joined C Battery, 85th Brigade. He was awarded the Military Medal in October 1917.

On 21st March 1918 he won the Victoria Cross at Caponne Farm, France for "Most conspicuous bravery, initiative and devotion to duty under heavy gas and shell fire. He had been sent to a rear position with a despatch, voluntarily returning under heavy fire to a forward position. Lying in open ground about 100 yards from the enemy under very heavy machine gun fire, he engaged the enemy until ordered to retire. Later he was one of a party who captured a machine gun post, taking four prisoners" This was Gazzetted on 22nd May 1918 and he was decorated by King George V at Buckingham Palace on 22nd June 1918.



When Charles returned to Belper, he was given a civic reception and cheered by hundreds of spectators. Led by military bands he was taken in procession to the River Gardens, where he was presented with a gold watch and chain together with £100 of War Bonds.

After being discharged from the army in 1919, he returned to mining t the Salterwood Colliery until 1923, when he moved to Ashbourne.

He died at Derby City Hospital on 29th August 1952 at the age of 63 and was buried with full military honours in his mother's grave at Belper Cemetery. According to his wishes, his medals were donated to Royal Artillery and are now held at the Firepower Museum in Woolwich.



Charles' brother, **Albert Ernest Stone**, was killed in action on 4th April 1917 and is commemorated on his grave and the **@Ripley** War Memorial.






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