2nd Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment
Charles Coldrick was born in Gloucester in 1889, one of twelve children born to Thomas and Mary Coldrick.
On 20 January 1908 he enlisted into the Gloucestershire Regiment, signing on for seven years with the colours and a further Yive in reserve.
His initial posting was to the 2nd Battalion and his transfer to the 1st Battalion coincided with its posting to India on 3 November 1908. He returned from India in September 1913 and remained in the UK until the battalion was posted to France on 13 August 1914.
He was wounded in his right side during the retreat from Mons and was in hospital at Wimereux on 31 October 1914. He returned to duty on 12 March 1915, having been posted to the 2nd Glosters. The battalion was despatched to Salonika on 25 November 1915, arriving on 12 December.
Charles fell seriously ill in May 1916, suffering a form of stroke, which left him with a paralysed left arm and leg and impaired speech and he was admitted to No 20 Stationary Hospital. His condition showed some improvement but there was still some movement impairment down his left side and he was sent to Valetta Military Hospital, Malta.
Eventually he was re-patriated to England and was admitted to 2nd Western General Hospital, Manchester on 28 July 1916. On 20 November 1916 he was discharged from the army as ‘no longer physically fit for war service’. A medical board ruled that his condition was the result of active service and climatic conditions and he was granted a permanent disability pension.
He never fully recovered from falling ill in Salonika and died in London, aged 28, on 28 October 1918 and was returned to Gloucester for burial in the Old Cemetery at Tredworth.