Frederick Charles Charge, known as Fred, was born at Highwood Hall, Pimlico near Leverstock Green, Hertfordshire on Wednesday, 6th November 1895 and baptised at Holy Trinity in the village on Sunday, 12th January 1896. He was the second of three children born to Arthur Charge and Lavinia Smith whose other children were Daisy and George. Fred also had two half siblings; William Smith born to Lavinia in 1883 before she married Arthur; and Harold born in 1890, who was Arthur’s son from his first marriage to Alice Dolt who sadly died only ten months after Harold’s birth.

When Fred was born his father worked as a ‘Shepherd’ at Highwood Hall Farm where the family lived. Ten years later in 1911, Fred, his father and two of his brothers are all working on the land. Fifteen-year-old Fred is a ‘Stockman’, his father is a ‘Farm Labourer’ and his brothers William and Harold worked as ‘Ploughman’ and ‘Poultryman’ respectively. It is likely that they were all employed on Highwood Hall Farm.

On the outbreak of war in August 1914, Fred was eighteen years old, but he delayed enlisting until he was nineteen and eligible for service overseas. He went to Bedford where he attested in the second week of January 1915 and joined the Bedfordshire Regiment.

He spent eight months training before being sent to France on the 30th September 1915 when he was posted to the 2nd Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment. He arrived at the Cuinchy Billets at Le Quesnoy in France on the 4th October with a draft of 250 other soldiers, much needed reinforcements after the Battalion losses at the Battle of Loos.

During 1916, Fred was in action in several phases of The Battle of the Somme, starting at the Battle of Albert and the Battle of Delville Wood in July. Just over two months later he fought in the Battle of Le Transloy in October.

The Battle of Le Transloy was the last offensive of the Fourth Army of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in the 1916 Battle of the Somme. The fighting took place during worsening weather and dreadful battlefield conditions. The initial attack was launched on the 1st October and was met by fierce German resistance meaning that it was not until the afternoon of 3rd October that the objectives were secured. A follow-up attack was delayed by atrocious weather and when it commenced on the 7th October the British suffered heavy British casualties and achieved little. The failure to secure original battle objectives led to a renewed assault on the afternoon of the 12th October when infantry floundered towards German trench lines in front of Le Transloy and formations on the left flank slogged towards the Butte de Warlencourt. Gains were small with the 2nd Bedfords capturing only 70yds of enemy trench but at very high cost.

The Battalion War Diary recorded the casualty figures as follows: "Officers = 10: Killed 5 Died of Wounds 1 Wounded 1 Wounded at Duty 3. Other Ranks = 242: Killed 49 Missing 49 Wounded & Missing 2 Wounded 125 Shell Shock 5 Wounded at Duty 12."

Fred was amongst the forty-nine men killed and he died on Thursday, 12th October 1916.

He was commemorated in memorial service at Holy Trinity Church in Leverstock Green at Easter 1919 and was remembered on the village school memorial and on the Leverstock Green War Memorial.

Fred is Remembered with Honour in Warlencourt British Cemetery, Pas-de-Calais, France where he is interred in Grave III. D. 11.

He was only 20 years old when he died.

Fred was entitled to the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal.