SNOW, Charles Albert

Charles Snow lived with his parents at 164 Brettell Lane and worked at the iron foundry of Messrs Thomas Robinson. He enlisted in the Royal Field Artillery in 1915 and joined the 86th brigade to serve in B Battery. The brigade was part of the 19th Division in 1916 and fought in the Battle of the Somme. In February 1917 it became an Army Brigade and was detached to serve where required. In June 1917 he had had ten days leave before the Brigade moved to the Ypres Salient preparing for the Third Battle of Ypres. In the days before the 31st July, the first day of the battle, they were in constant action. German counter-shelling, however, was very dangerous and on the 1st August Gunner Charles Snow was killed, probably by enemy shell-fire. He is commemorated on the Menin Gate and Wordsley Memorials. His brother, James, had been discharged after injury during the Retreat from Mons. His younger brother, Jack, had been invalided home twice from Salonika and was awarded the Military Medal.