Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the only son of the Reverend Canon James Hamilton Charles M.A., R.D., Vicar of Oakham, Rutland, born 1855 in Havering, Essex and his wife Elisabeth, born 1861 in Kensington, Middx., the daughter of the late John Jones Merriman M.D. of 45, Kensington Square, West London. James Arthur Merriman Charles was born in 1890 in Whittlesey, Cambs., and in April 1891was residing at Hemel House, High Street, Harrow, Middx., together with his sister Elizabeth J., born 1888 in Whittlesey, Cambs., this being the family home of his paternal grandparents, James Charles a merchant, born 1822 in London and his wife Julia F., born 1828 in Stoke Newington, Middx., also residing in the family home was his paternal uncle, Andrew P. Charles, born 1866 in Romford, Essex, and his paternal aunt’s Eleanor M. Charles, born 1868 in Romford, Essex and Ethel M. Charles, born 1869 in Harrow, Middx. In March 1901 James was a scholar and was residing as a boarder at Hillside, West Malvern, Worcs. In April 1911 James was an undergraduate and was residing as a boarder at Carhullen, Newquay, Cornwall. He was educated at Harrow and Trinity College, Cambridge (B.A. 1912), and was gazetted 2nd Lieutenant in the King’s Shropshire Light Infantry on the 5th November 1914, having joined his Regiment on Special Reserve in November 1912. Going out early in the war he fought in the first Battle of Ypres, where a thin line of British troops strove to save England at a moment when our Military fortunes seemed at their lowest ebb. Our forces were inferior in number and armament, and they triumphed by almost incredible valour which can never be forgotten. He was wounded by a bullet in the head at Rue du Bois, Armentieres on the 23rd October 1914, being in a trench only forty yards from the Germans, who were making desperate efforts to break through the Allied line, and was endeavouring to reach some men of his platoon who were being hard pressed and enfiladed by the enemy. He sent his servant with a message asking for reinforcements, to which the Colonel replied on a piece of paper that he was to “hold on”. It was while reading this message that he was shot through the head, his wound having been bound up by his servant, after which he lay in the trench, partially paralysed and unable to speak clearly for eight hours, but continuing to give orders to his men through his servant, till the latter was also wounded. He was afterward’s carried under fire, on a stretcher by two soldiers, who had volunteered, to the regimental dressing station, where with his Colonel who was also wounded, he was attended to, and afterwards he was first transferred to Boulogne and then to the King Edward VII Hospital for Officers at Grosvenor Gardens, London, where he subsequently died from his wounds. His remains were bought from London by motor hearse, and he was buried in Oakham Cemetery with full Military Honours. The loss of this gallant young officer, so full of honour, virtue and promise, was greatly lamented by the whole of his regiment, and numerous letters were received by his father from brother officers and men expressing the deepest sorrow. A Captain wrote:- “I know how very sorry all his brother officers and the men will be to hear of his death. He was always the life and soul of the Company during those dreary days on the Aisne and later in Belgium.” Another Captain wrote:- “He was so chivalrous and had such a wonderful share of the qualities which should be possessed by a gentleman and a soldier – the honour and courage – gentleness and Christianity – generosity and kindliness and the strength and determination to do one’s best for one’s cause at any cost.” His Colonel wrote:- “The Battalion has lost an able officer, one who was cheerful under all conditions, and very well fitted for his work.” It was owing to his Colonel’s confidence in him, and, as another brother officer wrote, “to the fact that the men would follow him anywhere that he was honoured at the Battle of the Aisne by being chosen to hold advanced trenches against the enemy, and also again at Armentieres.” He was a keen cricketer and played for his “house” at Harrow at both football and cricket, and was also 12th man for the Harrow cricket eleven, 1908. He was a member of the Harrow Philatelic Club. Two of his ancestors were successively Admirals of the Fleet to the North, Sir William Charles, Lord of Brignall and Cliff, Yorkshire, also of Kettleborough, Suffolk, and of Milton near Peterborough, Northamptonshire, who lived in the reign of Henry III, and was King’s Yeoman in 1262, and Sir Edward Charles his son, who was Lord of the same lands in Edward I’s reign. He was also King’s Yeoman in 1292, and was summoned several times to Military service in the Scotch wars and in Flanders. He was unmarried.