2nd. Lt. Charles Littlewood, 7th. Field Company, RE
A photograph of Charles Littlewood that hangs beneath a brass memorial to him in Holy Trinity church, Ingham, Norfolk.
Charles William Stephen Littlewood was born in 1898, the only son of William and Kathleen Mary Littlewood, nee Sinnott, of Cairo, Egypt and Ingham, Norfolk.
A keen sportsman and a good all round athlete, Charles had attended Downside School, Stratton-on-the-Fosse, Radstock, Somerset where he had also been a member of its Officer Training Corp. In the summer of 1915 he attended the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, London and in February the following year he received his commission in the Royal Engineers. In autumn 1916 he went to the Western Front as a Second Lieutenant with 7th. Field Company, RE, the divisional engineers for the 50th. (Northumbrian) Division.
When the Germans evacuated the villages of Wancourt and Héninel on the 12th. April they did so out of necessity but one of the key positions they retained was the Wancourt Tower. It sat on Wancourt Hill, otherwise known as Hill 92, and from its dominating position it commanded superb views over the surrounding area. Although the tower’s original structure now lay in ruins, the Germans had reinforced it by constructing a concrete observation and machine-gun post inside its core. Not surprisingly, the tower, and the hill upon which it sat, was heavily disputed. Between the 13th. and the 17th. April the position changed hands several times. On the 13th. April, at around 7 p.m, an attempt to capture the position by the 3rd. Division ended in failure.
The following day, the 50th. (Northumbrian) Division stepped in to provide a defensive flank for the 56th. (London) Division as the latter made its assault on Chérisy, a village that lay tucked away south-east of the Wancourt Tower in the Sensée Valley. After two days of fighting the 50th. Division’s line was a mere fifty yards to the west of the Wancourt Tower. On the morning of the 15th., as the Germans launched their counter-attack several miles to the south at Lagnicourt, a platoon from the 6th. Northumberland Fusiliers bombed its way forward and seized the ruined tower. The enemy, however, made four separate attempts that night to retake it, a clear indication of how important this position was to the Germans. The next day, the 16th. April, at around 10 p.m, as the 7th. Northumberland Fusiliers were in the process of relieving the regiment’s 6th. Battalion, the Germans launched a heavy counter-attack, this time regaining the crown of the hill and with it the tower. Not to be outdone, the 50th. Division attacked the following day, at which point the enemy abandoned the position, although they did attempt to recover the hill a week later.
The crest of the hill, where the tower stood, was of great tactical importance to both sides. The existence of the machine-gun post inside the tower was perhaps an added reason for the enemy’s reluctance to give it up and it was becoming increasingly likely that the Germans would make further efforts to regain the position. It seemed unwise to leave the post intact. With that in mind, Brigadier-General Rees, commanding the division’s 149th. Brigade, approached the Royal Engineers regarding the feasibility of destroying the tower and the all-important concrete emplacement within it.
At around 2 p.m. 16th. April 1917, 2nd Lt. Charles Littlewood calmly made his way to the tower to carry out his assessment, even though the infantry claimed it was impossible to approach the position in daylight. The short journey took him across completely open ground. The enemy’s main positions were little more than a hundred yards from the structure, though some German posts, especially those nearest the tower, were believed to be even closer. Undaunted, Littlewood walked straight up the hill to the tower where he completed his assessment. He then walked casually back to British lines, later returning to the tower with a small party of sappers from No. 3 Section. Again, he and his men strolled up to the position carrying their explosives and other pieces of kit with them. They then lit the guncotton charge, but this time nobody hung around, in fact everyone ran back down the hill as fast as their legs would carry them. Despite all this activity, the Germans failed to respond, apparently oblivious to all that was happening. The tower’s remaining structure was completely demolished and the post inside it was damaged beyond further use. Neither Littlewood, nor any of his party of eight, were armed during the operation, in fact rifles, bayonets, etc. were left behind in favour of carrying explosives and other necessary equipment.
In 1917 Charles won the Military Cross Medal (MC), awarded to commissioned officers of Captain and below, as well Warrant Officers, for valour during active operations. The citation surprisingly makes no reference to the tower’s demolition. It reads as follows:
“For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty carrying out work to strengthen a brick bridge under a hostile barrage. His coolness and example ensured the work was completed without cessation, despite casualties".
Charles Littlewood was killed on the 10th. July 1917 at Monchy-le-Preux, near Arras, Pas-de-Calais, France whilst engaged in night operations. He was hit in the head by a shell fragment after a shell burst close to him. It was reported that his death was instantaneous. At the time he was supervising the construction of two bridges across trenches between the British front line and a position to the rear. The work took place under heavy fire from enemy artillery and trench mortars. It was said that he moved about alone amongst his men supervising them and encouraging them by his own disregard of danger. The work in question was also carried out in the open with little or no cover.
2nd. Lt. Littlewood was originally buried in Wancourt Road cemetery, however, the cemetery was later destroyed by shell fire and his grave was lost. He is now commemorated on Panel 1, No.2 Memorial, Wancourt Road Cemetery, Neuville-Vitasse, France. He was aged 19 when he died.
Charles was awarded the Military Cross (MC).
He was entitled to the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
His next of kin were sent the Memorial Death Plaque of WW1 after the war.
2nd. Lt. Charles Littlewood, 7th. Field Company, RE
A photograph of Charles Littlewood that hangs beneath a brass memorial to him in Holy Trinity church, Ingham, Norfolk.
Charles William Stephen Littlewood was born in 1898, the only son of William and Kathleen Mary Littlewood, nee Sinnott, of Cairo, Egypt and Ingham, Norfolk.
A keen sportsman and a good all round athlete, Charles had attended Downside School, Stratton-on-the-Fosse, Radstock, Somerset where he had also been a member of its Officer Training Corp. In the summer of 1915 he attended the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, London and in February the following year he received his commission in the Royal Engineers. In autumn 1916 he went to the Western Front as a Second Lieutenant with 7th. Field Company, RE, the divisional engineers for the 50th. (Northumbrian) Division.
When the Germans evacuated the villages of Wancourt and Héninel on the 12th. April they did so out of necessity but one of the key positions they retained was the Wancourt Tower. It sat on Wancourt Hill, otherwise known as Hill 92, and from its dominating position it commanded superb views over the surrounding area. Although the tower’s original structure now lay in ruins, the Germans had reinforced it by constructing a concrete observation and machine-gun post inside its core. Not surprisingly, the tower, and the hill upon which it sat, was heavily disputed. Between the 13th. and the 17th. April the position changed hands several times. On the 13th. April, at around 7 p.m, an attempt to capture the position by the 3rd. Division ended in failure.
The following day, the 50th. (Northumbrian) Division stepped in to provide a defensive flank for the 56th. (London) Division as the latter made its assault on Chérisy, a village that lay tucked away south-east of the Wancourt Tower in the Sensée Valley. After two days of fighting the 50th. Division’s line was a mere fifty yards to the west of the Wancourt Tower. On the morning of the 15th., as the Germans launched their counter-attack several miles to the south at Lagnicourt, a platoon from the 6th. Northumberland Fusiliers bombed its way forward and seized the ruined tower. The enemy, however, made four separate attempts that night to retake it, a clear indication of how important this position was to the Germans. The next day, the 16th. April, at around 10 p.m, as the 7th. Northumberland Fusiliers were in the process of relieving the regiment’s 6th. Battalion, the Germans launched a heavy counter-attack, this time regaining the crown of the hill and with it the tower. Not to be outdone, the 50th. Division attacked the following day, at which point the enemy abandoned the position, although they did attempt to recover the hill a week later.
The crest of the hill, where the tower stood, was of great tactical importance to both sides. The existence of the machine-gun post inside the tower was perhaps an added reason for the enemy’s reluctance to give it up and it was becoming increasingly likely that the Germans would make further efforts to regain the position. It seemed unwise to leave the post intact. With that in mind, Brigadier-General Rees, commanding the division’s 149th. Brigade, approached the Royal Engineers regarding the feasibility of destroying the tower and the all-important concrete emplacement within it.
At around 2 p.m. 16th. April 1917, 2nd Lt. Charles Littlewood calmly made his way to the tower to carry out his assessment, even though the infantry claimed it was impossible to approach the position in daylight. The short journey took him across completely open ground. The enemy’s main positions were little more than a hundred yards from the structure, though some German posts, especially those nearest the tower, were believed to be even closer. Undaunted, Littlewood walked straight up the hill to the tower where he completed his assessment. He then walked casually back to British lines, later returning to the tower with a small party of sappers from No. 3 Section. Again, he and his men strolled up to the position carrying their explosives and other pieces of kit with them. They then lit the guncotton charge, but this time nobody hung around, in fact everyone ran back down the hill as fast as their legs would carry them. Despite all this activity, the Germans failed to respond, apparently oblivious to all that was happening. The tower’s remaining structure was completely demolished and the post inside it was damaged beyond further use. Neither Littlewood, nor any of his party of eight, were armed during the operation, in fact rifles, bayonets, etc. were left behind in favour of carrying explosives and other necessary equipment.
In 1917 Charles won the Military Cross Medal (MC), awarded to commissioned officers of Captain and below, as well Warrant Officers, for valour during active operations. The citation surprisingly makes no reference to the tower’s demolition. It reads as follows:
“For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty carrying out work to strengthen a brick bridge under a hostile barrage. His coolness and example ensured the work was completed without cessation, despite casualties".
Charles Littlewood was killed on the 10th. July 1917 at Monchy-le-Preux, near Arras, Pas-de-Calais, France whilst engaged in night operations. He was hit in the head by a shell fragment after a shell burst close to him. It was reported that his death was instantaneous. At the time he was supervising the construction of two bridges across trenches between the British front line and a position to the rear. The work took place under heavy fire from enemy artillery and trench mortars. It was said that he moved about alone amongst his men supervising them and encouraging them by his own disregard of danger. The work in question was also carried out in the open with little or no cover.
2nd. Lt. Littlewood was originally buried in Wancourt Road cemetery, however, the cemetery was later destroyed by shell fire and his grave was lost. He is now commemorated on Panel 1, No.2 Memorial, Wancourt Road Cemetery, Neuville-Vitasse, France. He was aged 19 when he died.
Charles was awarded the Military Cross (MC).
He was entitled to the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
His next of kin were sent the Memorial Death Plaque of WW1 after the war.