Dedicated to the memory of all the men and women of the Bridgnorth area who died during the two World Wars.
Charles Harold Boddey was the son of William Boddey and his wife Amina. William lived at Burwarton where he worked as Forester and Landscape Gardener for Viscount Boyne of Burwarton Hall. When he died, Viscount Boyne left William a life annuity of £50.
Charles became a marine engineer. He lived for a while at Barrow-in-Furness where he married Jane Haworth in 1907. The couple had a son, Harold Sydney, before moving to Bristol where Charles worked for Canadian Northern Steamships, a subsidiary of the Canadian Northern Railway.
Charles became Chief Engineer on the company's ship Royal Edward. At the outbreak of war, this ship had been requisitioned for use as a troop ship.
On 28th July, 1915, Royal Edward left Avonmouth carrying more than a thousand men and heading for Gallipoli. Several days later, while in the Aegean Sea close to the island of Kandeloussa, Royal Edward was torpedoed by the German submarine UB-14.
Several passing ships came to the aid of the Royal Edward but, though many were saved, many men were lost - including the Chief Engineer, Charles Harold Boddey.
This memorial has mostly been compiled from official sources. It would be good to be able to expand it with more personal material - memories, stories, photos, etc. If you have any suitable material or any corrections please contact Greg. For news of updates follow @BridgnorthHeros on Twitter.