Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of William Thomas Bird an Ironstone Weighman, born 1873 in Cranford St. John, Northants., and his wife Annie, born 1872 in Langar, Notts. Charles Joseph was born in 1899 in Stathern, Leics., in March 1901 the family home was at Stathern, Leics., in the Ecclesiastical Parish of Stathern, St. Guthlac. In April 1911 Charles was a Schoolboy and was residing in the family home at Eastwell, Leics., together with his parents and siblings, Eva Nancy, born 1897 and Lily Elizabeth, born 1904, the latter two siblings were both born in Stathern, Leics., Harry, born 1907 and Alfred William, born 1911, the latter two siblings were both born in Eastwell, Leics., also residing with the family was his maternal grandfather, Charles Jinkinson, a widower, born 1843 in Barkestone, Leics. The War Diary for today records that the Battalion were in the Doon Mill sector. On the return of the Commanding Officer to Battalion HQ’s, he at once saw Company Commanders who had been waiting for him, where he gave verbal orders and instructions with reference to Brigade Operation Order number 369 the -?- and dispositions to be employed. Coys were in posts and D Coy was still in the front line with the Sherwood Foresters. Coys were ordered to move via Brancourt Railway Station along Sunken Road south east from station and to take up their positions as near to barrage line C.29 central 1.5.b. 60.00 as possible. -?- was known as regards whether the enemy was still holding 1.4.b. and d. and C.29.c. and I.5.a. Coys were ordered to advance under the barrage as follows A right and supported by B, C on left supported by D, Battalion HQ’s to advance to C.28.d. 00.30. A, C and B Coys all succeeded in starting off behind the barrage as soon as it lifted from the barrage commence line, ie: Zero plus 10. It was impossible for D Coy to get up in time, but this Coy reached their line C objective 20 minutes after the objective had been taken. Northern Battalion boundary. Grid line running from C.28 through C.30 southern boundary. Grid line running through I.5. central and I.6. central. Zero 05.30hrs. The -?- was particularly -?- but in spite of this direction was well maintained. A and B Coys advancing on and passing through Jonnecourt Farm, while C Coy advanced direct to high ground north east of Jonnecourt Farm in C.30.d. objective being I.c.b. 40.00 to C.30.b. 60.00. This objective was gained and consolidated without a casualty. 1 -?- Tank Gun was captured. Two explosions occurred in Jonnecourt Farm shortly after Battalion had reached its objective. 1 platoon from each of the advanced Coys then exploited the ground to the front. C Coy succeeded in advancing their line -?- D.25.c. 60.40. A Coy succeeded in reaching then exploiting lines at I.c., the Railway at J.2.c. 70.80. Battalion HQ’s at C.30.c. 40.20. At about 14.00hrs information was received that the Norfolk Regiment had secured the Railway to the south near Bohain and that Cavalry had passed through square D.27, whereupon C Coy advanced with a covering patrol in front past farm in D.25.b. 15.50 and in valley D.25.b. 80.99 to railway at D.20.c. 90.40 which was the northern -?- of the Battalion exploiting area. C Coy then moved down the embankment under the supervision of the Commanding Officer who personally led them. But at D.26.c. 60.40 much opposition was encountered chiefly from heavy Machine Guns at J.2.a. 80.70. The second in Command with a Light Gun section endeavoured to outflank the enemy to the east, while the Commanding Officer with a captured light Machine Gun endeavoured to outflank them from the west. C Coy advanced about 200 yards by central support and covering fire, the -?- -?- being eventually taken by the Coy about 18.00hrs. Before this operation had commenced orders had been sent to the Adjutant to direct A Coy to work up the railway from the south, unfortunately the Adjutant was killed at the moment when he was sending the orders to Officer Commanding A Coy, hence this Coy did not receive its orders until somewhat later and eventually approached the scene about 18.30hrs. The result was that the whole of the exploiting line was captured by dusk, capturing two heavy Machine Guns, three light Machine Guns and one Dart machine. Prisoners 10 and several enemy dead were found and two of their wounded were evacuated, unfortuanately the enemy had a covered line intact up which about 100 made their escape. Casualties 2 officers (2nd Lieutenant D.H. Sims M.C. wounded and died the following day, 2nd Lieutenant A. E. Brown killed) and 20 other ranks approximately. Casualties, other ranks A Company 3 wounded. B Company 1 wounded. C Company 3 killed, 4 wounded. A personal account written by Colonel H. C. Whylly, C.B., recorded. The Battalion advanced “according to plan” on the morning of October 8th and gained the positions pointed out to it in the Sunken Road and about Doon Mill, encountering a certain amount of opposition and sustaining losses of about 4 officers and about 100 other ranks; these positions were held during the rest of the day. Then on the morning of the 9th, the 1st Bn Leicestershire Regiment moved up to the front, relieving the 2nd Bn Sherwood Foresters and becoming the southern Battalion of the Brigade, and the Companies being disposed as follows: “A” on the right supported by “B,” and “C” on the left supported by “D.” “All the Companies except “D” got off immediately behind the barrage and gained their final objective, “D” arriving twenty minutes later. The morning was particularly misty, but, none the less, direction was well maintained, and “A” and “B” Companies advanced on and passed through Gonnecourt Farm, while “C” moved direct to the high ground north east of it. This objective was also gained and consolidated, and here an anti-tank gun was captured.” A platoon from each of the advanced Companies then went over the ground in front as far as the railway line, the limit allotted, and about 2.00pm the news came to hand that the 9th Bn Norfolk Regiment had secured the railway to the north, near Bohain, and that British cavalry was moving forward. “C” Company now advanced under the personal leadership of the Commanding Officer, but met with much opposition from enemy machine guns, upon which, while the Second-in-Command with a Lewis gun section endeavoured to outflank the enemy from the east, the Commanding Officer with a captured light machine gun, tried to do the same from the west, and “C” Company was thus enabled to make an advance of some 200 yards to an embankment. The Adjutant had been sent direct to “A” Company to work up the railway from the south, but unfortunately the Adjutant was killed and the receiept of the order by “A” Company was belated. The whole line indicated to the Battalion was in its possession by dusk, and the captures made included 2 heavy and 3 light machine guns, one dart machine and 10 prisoners, while several enemy dead were found. Unfortunately the enemy had a covered line of retreat, up which about a hundred of them fell back, thus avoiding capture.