Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Thomas and Annie Marlow of East Gate, Hallaton, Leics. He landed in France on the 23rd July 1915.

Source: Leicestershire War Memorials Project.
Charles was born to Thomas, a platelayer on the railway and Annie and part of the very extensive Marlow family of Hallaton with many siblings and cousins. After leaving school he worked as a domestic gardener but excitement was in the air. Work was hard and frequently difficult to come by and the Dominions were calling for young men with spirit to take the plunge and emigrate to new lands bursting with opportunities. Posters such as this would have been seen, setting an idyllic picture of challenge and self sufficiency. They proved a big draw and several of Hallaton’s young men responded. On 1st May 1912, he and a friend sailed for Quebec under the “British Bonus Allowed” assisted passages scheme. It is believed he worked on farms over there. But with the threat of war looming, Charles decided his place was back in the Mother Country and he returned in mid summer 1914 and signed on in the 12th Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps with service number R/1312. He landed in Le Havre on 23rd July 1915. The Battalion was involved in endless marching and was in and out of the trenches with a steady trickle of casualties with snipers being a particular problem. Early March 1916 saw them north of Ypres in support on the Canal Bank. The Battle of The Somme started on July 1st and the War Diary gives few details for the period 2nd- 8th – merely “Enemy artillery fairly active…Casualties 4 O.R.s killed – 14 wounded”. Charles was one of those killed. He must have been an impressive young man, because his platoon commander took the time and trouble to pen this remarkable tribute “As a Rifleman he always did his work exceptionally well, and since taking promotion he has been quite one of my most reliable and trustworthy non-commissioned officers. Brave, very steady under fire, and cheerful under all conditions no matter how bad, he was very highly thought of by the captain, and trusted and liked by the men of the section he commanded. If there was any duty requiring more courage, skill and ability than usual, your son was the N.C.O. selected. He handled his men most ably and had he lived would undoubtedly have been singled out for distinction. He was exceptionally reliable on patrol work at night. I am quite unable to replace him at present.” He was buried at Vlamertinghe Military Cemetery, west of Ypres and is also honoured on the Hallaton War Memorial.

Information (including photograph) kindly provided by Dennis Kenyon.