Thank you to Jane Anthony and Andrew Bailey for this research.
Henry, known as Harry, was born in Oakwood Hill on 27th June 1892, and was baptised there on 25th September 1892. He was the son of Frank and Elizabeth Charman. In 1901 the family were resident in Forest Green, and Harry was mentioned as a resident of Ewhurst in the 1914 Electoral Roll, when he lived in Mascalls.
Harry joined the army as a teenager, and in 1911, he was a Gunner with the 14th Company of the Royal Garrison Artillery at South Shoebury in Essex.
He joined his unit at Bulford with the commencement of the war, landing in France on 19th August 1914. He served initially as Gunner 70295 with the 42nd Brigade Royal Field Artillery of the 3rd Division. The 42nd Brigade was one of the units in the regular army and was part of the British Expeditionary Force. Harry was promoted to Corporal and was Mentioned in Despatches in the 22nd June 1915 issue of the London Gazette. On 26th July 1916, whilst participating in the Battle of the Somme, Harry was killed. At this time his Division was involved in the Battle of Delville Wood. Harry has no known grave and is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission records that his parents, Frank and Elizabeth, lived in Sunnyside, Cranleigh Road, Ewhurst, Surrey.
One of his older brothers Frank later joined the same regiment.
He is commemorated in Abinger, Okewood Hill, Forest Green and Ewhurst.
Thank you to Andy Bailey for letting us reproduce his research from the Ewhurst Fallen website.
| Born | Abinger, Surrey | |
| Lived | Forest Green, Surrey | |
| Son of | Frank and Elizabeth Charman | |
| Brother of | Frank Charman | |
| Regiment | 41st Battery, 42nd Regiment, Royal Field Artillery | |
| Number | 70295 | |
| Date of Death | 26th July 1916 | |
| Place of Death | Somme, France | |
| Cause of Death | Killed in Action | |
| Age | 24 | |
| Memorial | Thiepval Memorial, France |
