Charles Lush Vinen was born circa 1878 in Bristol, Gloucestershire, the only child of William Isaac Vinen (1848-1915) and Frances Sarah Ann Vinen née Taylor (1853-1922).
He is shown as aged 13 years on the census that was taken on 5 April 1891. He was living at 93 Olinda Road, Stamford Hill, London, with his parents and his maternal aunt, Lucy Taylor. His father was described as a cabinet maker.
He married Emma Jane Matthews (1882-1973) in the 2nd quarter of 1907 in the Edmonton Registration District, Middlesex (now Greater London). Their first child, Augustus William Vinen (1910-1997), was born on 21 July 1910 in Bordon, Hampshire.
When he completed his census return form on 2 April 1911 he described himself as aged 32 years and a brewer's storesman. He was living with his wife and their son in three rooms within 28 Portland Road, South Tottenham, Middlesex (now Greater London).
In March 1912 he was appointed as an assistant postman in London’s Northern District Office, Upper Street, Islington. Their daughter, Ellen Frances Vinen (1912-1968), was born on 14 March 1912 and when she was baptised at St Phillip the Apostle’s Church, Tottenham on 19 May 1912 the family is recorded as living at 213 West Green Road, South Tottenham and his occupation was recorded as a postman. In January 1913 he was promoted to the grade of postman and transferred to London’s Western District Office.
Electoral registers in 1914 and 1915 show him listed at 213 West Green Road, Tottenham.
He enlisted into the 6th Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment at St Paul’s Churchyard, London and his service number was 3/6960. He disembarked with his regiment on 14 July 1915 in The Balkans and on 21 August 1915 was involved in the infamous battle of Scimitar Hill in which the battalion lost 28 officers and 628 men as casualties, an attrition rate of 80% for officers and 68% for men. Like so many others his body was never recovered and he was listed as 'Accepted Dead' on 22 August 1915, aged 36 years. On 9 September 1916 his widow received his army effects totalling £6-19s-10d and on 20 November 1919 she was awarded a war gratuity of £6-0s-0d. As he has no known grave he is of the Helles Memorial, Gallipoli, Canakkale, Turkey. He was posthumously awarded the 1914-1915 Star, the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal.
Whilst researching this man I came across a Charles Lush Vinen, born circa 1877 in Gloucester who had enlisted, giving his age as 21 years, on 22 September 1898 in the 2nd Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment, service number 5901. He was awarded the Queen’s South Africa Medal 1901 with three clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State and Transvaal. Could this be the same man? I could find no trace of a 1901 census entry for Charles Lush Vinen, so could he have been fighting in the Boer War at this time? The birth of his son in 1910 in Bordon, Hampshire, was at a location where the 2nd Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment had barracks. The fact that Charles Lush Vinen had achieved the rank of Serjeant at the time of his death could also possibly indicate some previous military experience. Speculation at present, but maybe someone else will able to shed more light on this soldier.
He is shown as 'Vinen, C. L.' on both the Western Postal District war memorial in Mount Pleasant, London, WC1 and on the Tottenham and West Green war memorial at the junction of West Green Road and Philip Lane, London, N15. He is also commemorated on the , on the , on the , on the , on the and on .
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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