Charles Bennett Rickwood
Charles Bennett Rickwood was born on 9 November 1921 in Great Bardfield, Dunmow, Essex. He was the eldest of eight children born to Charles Rickwood and Minnie née Underwood, who were married in the late 1921.
At the time of the 1921 census, Charles Rickwood (senior), aged 26 years was single and working as a farm labourer for G.W. Smith, Market Gardener, living with an older couple, James, who was a gardener, and his wife Caroline Easter, on Main Street, Dove Court, Essex.
Meanwhile, Minnie Underwood, having been born in Little Sailing, Bardfield, was aged 21 years and working as a domestic servant at 22 Northgates Mansions, Regent’s Park, London, for Mrs. Yule of Scotland. Also working as a domestic servant was Ellen Clarke, aged 55, from Dunmow, Essex.
Both Charles and Minnie came from large families in the Great Bardfield, Dunmow area. Charles was one of nine children, and Minnie was one of eleven children. Her brother, Bennett Underwood, was killed during the First World War, in the Battle of the Somme in 1916. Presumably, her son Charles Bennett Rickwood was named after her brother.
Charles and Minnie’s family grew with the arrival of Douglas Ralph Raymond in 1923, Christina Mary Irene in 1925, Arthur Joseph in 1927, Daphne Myrtle Grace, who sadly was born and died in 1929, Henry John in 1930, Elizabeth May in 1932, and finally Margaret Joan in 1934.
Tragically, Charles (Senior) was unable to support his family. Through bouts of illness and lack of employment, they fell into rent arrears and were evicted from their home. On 9 October 1934, when Charles Bennett was nearly 13 years old, his entire family was admitted to the Braintree Union Workhouse. Very quickly, the family was separated. By Christmas of 1934, Charles Bennett and his brother Arthur Joseph, along with their younger sister Christina Mary Irene, were transferred to the Friars Children’s Home, Bocking End, Braintree. Douglas Ralph Raymond, aged just 11, was sent to Maldon’s Boys’ Home. The following year, in March 1935, Henry John was sent to Epping Children’s Home, and finally, sometime before 1938, the baby Margaret Joan joined her brothers and sisters at the Friars Children’s Home. Elizabeth May was sent to Dunmow House on 11 November 1936.
Charles Bennett left the children’s home the following year aged 14 and was placed in lodgings with work as was the practice at this time for children in care.
By the time Charles Bennett was nearly 18 in September of 1939, it was clear that the family was to remain separated, although Charles Bennett was the only child to have returned to his parents and Grandmother at 7 Dunmow road Great Bardfield.
Arthur, Christina, and Margaret appear on the 1939 register at 31 Bradford Street, Friar’s Children’s Home. Elizabeth May can be found on the 1939 register at 58 New Street, Dunmow Children’s Home. Their parents, Charles and Minnie, however were living at 7 Dunmow Road, Great Bardfield, with Emma, Charles’ widowed mother, and his unmarried brother Joseph Benjamin. Also living with them was his married sister Martha Barnard and her daughter Winifred. Next door at 8 Dunmow Road lived Charles Rickwood’s brother James and his wife Ethel May.
The UK Roll of Honour 1939-1945 for Charles Bennett states he was originally recruited into the Essex Regiment, but later transferred to the Royal Artillery, serving with the 324 Battery, 94th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment. From 14 September 1944 the war diary states the 324 were engaged in Operation Market Garden. They moved towards Nijmogen and Arnhem but on the 18th of September in the area south of Valkenswaard Netherlands casualties were suffered due to an air attack. Charles Bennett Rickwood was wounded and died of these wounds on 18 September 1944.
The Essex Chronicle of Friday 6 October 1944 reported on Charles’ death. The article describes that Charles, written in this article as Charlie, died of wounds in North West Europe. He is described as the ‘beloved nephew of James Rickwood. Bardfield.’
Gunner Charles Bennett Rickwood, service number 6012848, is buried at Leopoldsburg War Cemetery in Belgium in plot VI.E.14. He is also remembered on the Great Bardfield Cross War Memorial on the village green in Great Bardfield, Braintree Essex.
