Details imported from Luton Absent Voters list and the National Roll of the Great War (Section V)

Charles was the son of Clara and Thomas Worker of Barton, who had two other sons killed. Charles was severely wounded on 21st March 1918. His brother Sidney was killed the following day and their brother Thomas had previously been killed on 23rd April 1917.

The National Roll (mostly submitted by families) describes his service as follows: He joined in January 1917 and after his training was drafted to France in January 1918. Whilst on the Western Front he took part in much heavy fighting and was seriously wounded on the Somme in March. He was removed to hospital in England and in consequence of his injuries one of his legs had to be amputated. He was invalided out of the service later in 1918 and holds the General Service and Victory Medals.

Charles' Army Pension records can be seen at the National Archives and show that Charles, who was a bleacher & dyer, enlisted at 18 years old in February 1917. He sustained a gunshot wound to his right buttock on 21st March 1918 and his right leg was amputated at the hip joint. He was treated at the 73rd General Hospital in Trouville before being transferred to hospitals in the UK. In March 1919 he was transferred to the Special Surgical Hospital at Woburn where he remained until February 1920 before moving to Queen Mary's Convalescent Hospital at Roehampton to be fitted with an artificial limb. He was finally discharged in July 1920.