Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Charles Barrowdale Carryer a hosiery manufacturer, born 1858 in Leicester and his wife Mary Ann Carryer (nee Moore, married on the 12th May 1883 in the Leicester district), born 1859 in Leicester. Charles Ivan, was born in the 4th quarter of 1897 in Leicester, he had one sibling, Muriel, born 1884 in Leicester, in March 1901 the family were all residing as boarders at Bank House, Droitwich, Worcestershire. In April 1911 Charles was a schoolboy and was residing in the family home at 176, London Road, Leicester, together with his father, a hosiery company director and his mother.
On Friday August 18th 1916 The Melton Mowbray Times & Vale of Belvoir Gazette published the following article under the heading. TRAGIC DEATH OF LEICESTERSHIRE AIRMAN. – MACHINE TAKING FIRE NEAR NOTTINGHAM. We much regret to announce that a young Leicester airman, Second Lieutenant Charles Ivan Carryer, East Yorks Regiment and Royal Flying Corps, met with his death under tragic circumstances while flying near Nottingham on Sunday afternoon. Lieutenant Carryer, who was just under 19 years of age, was the second son of Mr. Charles Barrowdale Carryer (director of Moore, Endy Ltd.) and Mrs. Carryer, of Hampton House, London-road, with whom the greatest sympathy will be felt in their sad bereavement. So far as can be gathered at present, Lieutenant Carryer was making a cross-country flight. He was seen passing over Leicester at a high altitude about one o’clock, going in the direction of Nottingham. Having lost his direction owing to clouds, he landed near Nottingham, on the far side of the Trent, about two o’clock, and inquired his bearings from a police officer. Ascending again, he re-crossed the river, and presumably, owing to a gust of wind, or not having enough room to get up speed before rising, struck a tree and fell into a stack yard at Gunthorpe. The petrol fired, and the machine was enveloped in flames, while the unfortunate young airman was still in the pilot’s seat. Though help was immediately forthcoming, he was terribly burned about the legs and head. He was conveyed in a motor car, in an unconscious state, to the Nottingham General Hospital, where he died about six o’clock. The Nottingham Police communicated with the parents of the deceased officer, and his elder brother, Second Lieutenant Nigel R. Carryer, Royal Marine Artillery, who happened to be home on short leave, at once proceeded to Nottingham, arriving however, too late to see his brother alive. The circumstances are rendered the more distressing by the fact that both Mr. and Mrs. Carryer are at present ill. Mr. Ivan Carryer joined the 2nd/4th Leicesters on the outbreak of war, and in the spring of 1915 entered the Royal Military College, and in due course was gazetted, with a permanent commission to the East Yorkshire Regiment, and subsequently he was attached to the Royal Flying Corps. He was educated at Hitchen Grammar School and the Wyggeston School. Another account of the fatality says:- Flight Lieutenant Carryer met with a fatal accident on Sunday evening. Having lost his bearings he descended to inquire as to his whereabouts, and upon restarting his machine swerved to avoid coming into contact with telegraph wires, and a gust of wind partially turned the machine over, with the results that it dived on to an outbuilding of a neighbouring home. The machine fell to the ground and immediately caught fire, but before rescue operations could be carried out, the young aviator was seriously burnt. He was conveyed to the hospital, but died shortly after admission. A Red Cross nurse who happened to be in the vicinity, is highly spoken of as having rendered efficient first aid. The inquest was held on Tuesday afternoon at Nottingham General Hospital. Evidence of identification was given by his brother, Lieutenant N. R. Carryer, who said deceased was expected at Leicester on Sunday. An aeroplane went in the direction of Melton, and they heard of the accident afterwards. P.C. Cleal, Notts. County Police, stationed at East Bridgeford, said that at 1.30 on Sunday he saw an aeroplane. The pilot appeared to be in trouble, and finally descended. Witness went to him, asked if he could be any help, and also if anything was wrong. Deceased told the constable that the engine was working perfectly, but he had lost his way and wanted to be directed to Leicester. Witness told him the way, and deceased ascended and flew over the river very low. About 300 yards away witness saw the machine strike a hayloft and fall. There was immediately a big cloud of smoke. Witness went to the spot as fast as possible and found the aeroplane of fire. He assisted in getting the deceased from the machine and then telephoned for a doctor. Other evidence was given by people who assisted the deceased after the accident, one of them saying that he seemed to have crawled some feet from the aeroplane. He was not strapped in. Captain A. T. Harris said he had known deceased for some time, and always regarded him as a good pilot. He thought deceased lost control because it was a gusty day. He was flying rather low, and flying over a river or trees bad “bumps” were sometimes experienced. The jury returned a verdict as stated, and attached no blame to anybody.
On the 31st January 1920 the Wyggeston Grammar School for Boys in Leicester published a Roll of Honour of former pupils, this shows that Charles had been a pupil at the school between the years 1908 to 1914.