Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Charley and Emma Dedman, one of four sons. No trace can be found of when he moved from Hertfordshire, however he worked for Mr R. Tebbett, a saddler on Hotel Street, Coalville from 1904 – 1914 and during this time lived in Swannington. Charley as he was known enlisted into the 1st/5th Battalion of the Leicestershire Regiment in the first week of the war, an ironic fact, was that he spent some time during his training in the town of his birth. At some stage he was transferred to the London Regiment, in which Battalion he was killed in action on the 9th September 1916. A friend in Swannington received a letter from a French soldier, Clesse Noel, who sympathetically wrote that Charley had been struck in the head by a German bullet from which he died. He added that he was buried two hundred yards northeast of -?-, and that he found the Swannington address on a photograph lying near to his body. “He must have been looking at it in his last moments. A lot of friends attended his burial and the grave is marked by a little wooden cross.”

Source: Leicestershire War Memorials Project.
Coalville Times article - Friday November 17th, 1916

RIFLEMAN CHARLES DEDMAN

News has been received that Rifleman Charles Dedman, of the London Regiment, has died of wounds received in action. He was officially reported missing after a battle on September 8th, but a letter since received by a friend at Swannington, from a French soldier, states that he was struck in the head by a German bullet, from which he died, and he had been buried 200 yds north-east of _________. The Frenchman, whose signature is “Clesse Noel” ascertained the address of the dead soldier’s friends by finding a photograph with the address written on the back, lying near him, and the writer stated that the deceased must have been looking at the photograph in his last moments. A lot of friends attended his burial, and the grave is marked by a little wooden cross.

A letter has also been received from the sergeant-major, who states that he knew Rifleman Dedman to be a good comrade and a keen and reliable soldier. His loss is greatly regretted by all in the London Regiment.

Rifleman Dedman was a native of Sawbridgeworth, Herts., where his mother resides, but he was well-known locally, having resided at Swannington, for the past ten years, and before enlisting, he was in the employ of Mr R. Tebbett, saddler, of Hotel Street, Coalville. He was 26 years of age, and single. Three of his brothers are now serving in the Forces.

Research undertaken and submitted (including photograph from Coalville Times) by Andy Murby 18/10/2017