Lieutenant Charles James Thomas Perkins

 

Charles James Thomas Perkins was born on 29 May 1897 in Debdale Road, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, the last of five children of boot and shoe upper manufacturer Thomas George Perkins and his wife Maria Clayson Perkins (née Tebbutt). Educated at Wellingborough Westfield School and with three years' private tuition, at the time of the 1911 Census he was living at 'The Cote', Debdale Road, with his parents, siblings and a half-sister from his father's previous marriage. He later worked as an apprentice in the boot and shoe manufacturing business.

Perkins enlisted at Wellingborough in the 3/1st Northamptonshire Yeomanry (No.2208) on 23 February 1916. On 21 September that year he was promoted to acting corporal. On 10 October he applied for a commission in the cavalry. Following training at the No.1 Cavalry Cadet School at Netheravon, on 17 February 1917 he was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant and posted to the 6th Reserve Regiment of Cavalry at Tidworth.

Perkins was then posted to the 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons Service Squadron, joining it in the field at Boeschepe on 29 April. At the time the squadron was part of the 2nd North Irish Horse Regiment, serving as corps cavalry to X Corps.

In September 1917 the 2nd NIH Regiment was disbanded and most of its officers and men, including those of the 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons Service Squadron, were transferred to the infantry, the majority to the 9th (Service) Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers – renamed the 9th (North Irish Horse) Battalion. Perkins joined the battalion at Ruyaulcourt on 4 November.

He probably saw action with the battalion in November and December 1917 during the Battle of Cambrai.

When the German spring offensive began on 21 March 1918, the 9th (NIH) Battalion was at rest behind the lines near St Quentin. Perkins was in command of No.16 Platoon, D Company. He and most of his platoon were captured near Essigny on the morning of 22 March after they were cut off from the battalion when it withdrew during the night.

In an official inquiry after the war (a formality for all officers made prisoner) he described the circumstances:

On March 20th the Batt. was in rest billets at Gd. Sauracourt [Grand Seracourt]. When the enemy barrage opened at 4.0 am on the morning of the 21st we left the village and took up a position outside. About 12.30 pm my company had orders to move up and reinforce the company of the 1st R.I.F. who were holding the Redoubt in the Battle Zone W of Essigny Station. About 7.0 pm that evening I was ordered to take my platoon and establish an outpost line from the Redoubt to A Coy who were on our right, and to come in again just before dawn. Althrough [sic] the night there was very little firing and no sign of the enemy. Just before dawn I collected my men and made for the Redoubt. On the way I saw through the fog that was very dense at the time a small party coming down the Essigny–Sauracourt Road which ran through the Redoubt. On approaching I found that they were Germans, and thinking that they may have been a patrol that had got lost, shouted for them to surrender. Seeming very much surprised they started to run, so I at once ordered my men to open fire. Upon reaching the Redoubt I found it to be occupied by the enemy so I at once made off into open country with the hope of getting through, but had only gone about 500 yds when I saw a party of about fifty of our men, so made towards them, but found that they were prisoners and had a guard of six Germans. On observing who we were one of the guard came towards us and signalled for us to join them. I at once covered him with my revolver and enquired of the men as to what had happened, and I was told that during the night the Batt had retired and that the enemy were now five or six kilometres in my rear. Still thinking there was a possible chance of escape we made off again and after three hours, during which time we were avoiding numerous parties of the enemy, we next enountered Battalions of them moving up in mass formation. I then saw that escape and avoiding being taken prisoner was impossible.

The inquiry then asked:

Whether you liberated the British prisoners of war you encountered, and what action you took as regards the German escort. Whether, having liberated the British prisoners, you were able to rearm them. What your total strength in armed men then amounted to. Whether you and your men could not have laid up by day and got through at night, and why, when you found you could not escape in a formed body, you did not break up into small parties, and trust to some being able to find a way through.

To which Perkins replied:

I had 12 men with me armed. There was no possible chance of arming the 50 British prisoners & I thought I had a better chance of getting away 12 armed men than by taking the 50 unarmed men, as the fog was just lifting & I could see that there were Germans all around. I left the German escort with the 50 men. The German escort made signs that their troops were all around. I extended and spread out my 12 men & made off to try & get round Sauracourt & ran into masses of the enemy & was captured. I had been on outposts during the night & the Battn. had retired. I heard afterwards that they sent a runner that we [were] to retire during the night but he never arrived.

Perkins remained a prisoner until the end of the war, held in Baden at Rastatt and the Lahr officers' camp. He was promoted to lieutenant on 17 August. He returned to England on 11 December 1918, and relinquished his commission on 4 April 1919.

In 1925 he married Nellie Elizabeth Hewitt in Wellingborough. At the time of the 1939 Register they were living at The 'Cottage', Westfield Road, Wellingborough, Charles working as a boot and legging manufacturer. He died there on 5 January 1991.

 

This page last updated 18 October 2023.