The research for this book has revealed lots of stories about the soldiers and of the villagers.
Charlie Bream, from Nassington was born in 1883. He was the eldest son of a railway platelayer in Nassington. In 1903 Charles joined the 1st battalion The Northamptonshire (D Company) Regiment and saw active service on the Indian Frontier in 1904, for which he received two medals and two bars. On leaving the Army he became a Police Constable in Durham. He was called up at the start of the War and on departing from the police force he stated that 'if I should be spared sir to come back it will be with clean hands and a clear conscience'.He applied for the Grenadier Guards but because of 'still joints' was rejected so he re-enlisted into the 1st Battalion The Northamptonshire Regiment. On August 17th 1914 his regiment left for France and he was with them when they were forced to retreat from Mons. In a letter to a friend he wrote
'you will have heard about the battle on the Aisne we were in the trenches for a month, and the first week it never ceased raining and we had to stick it.
On another occasion he wrote saying, 'that we were in the trenches for a month and it rained day and night for a week. We were wet through to the skin even to the bone. My hand was wounded but it was nothing to shout about. The doctors were too busy to dress it so I got an R.A.M.C (Royal Army Medical Corps) man to dress it. I went back to the firing line on the same day. I thought that I had been done in; I did not care what became of me. The Germans were at us for three solid weeks. Thank God it has eased off a bit.
Later, when at Festubert, Charles wrote 'that they had had several engagements with the Prussia Guard, but got through them doing six bayonet charges in ten days'.
Charles was killed shortly after this last letter was posted in yet another bayonet charge at Festubert on December 21st 1914.
Charles is remembered at Le Touret Military Cemetery.
