CHARLES WALTER DANGERFIELD
Although Charles Walter, his mother and all nine of his siblings were born in Southsea, his father Frederick was instead born in Devizes and probably would never have moved to Portsmouth if he hadn't married Emily Wright in Birmingham and moved to her home town.
Even whilst he was living as a young man in Devizes Frederick had already taken up the grocery trade, being a grocer's assistant in 1881 but seemingly becoming a grocer in his own right after the move to Portsmouth. He remained in the trade until after 1911.
When Frederick and Emily arrived in Southsea one of their first homes was at 66 Duncan Road, a two bedroomed property that had been built less than 20 years earlier in a pleasant area of the town, off Albert Road. Their first (unnamed) child appeared with the couple in the 1891 census but seems to have died shortly afterwards which made their second born, Charles Walter (b. 1892), their oldest surviving child. Over the next seventeen years a further 7 children were born. It was probably the need for a larger home which explains the move from Duncan Road to Willow Cottage in Auckland Road East in time for the 1911 census.
When the Great War broke out Charles Walter was 22 years of age and is known to have served with the 2nd Battalion of the Hampshire Regiment. If he had been then he would have seen a lot of the world in the last four years of his life as the Regiment moved from India, to England, to Gallipoli and Egypt before arriving in France. He was killed in action in October 1918.
Further Information
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) website lists Private Charles Walter Dangerfield (14363), 2nd Battalion, Hampshire Regiment, date of death, 02/10/1918, aged 26, buried at Hooge Crater Cemetery (Grave ref: XV.L.15.). Son of Frederick and Emily Dangerfield, of Southsea, Portsmouth.
Charles Dangerfield is commemorated on the St. Jude's Church WW1 Memorial and on the Cenotaph. He is not listed in the 'National Roll of the Great War'.
Tim Backhouse
August 2014