Pte Charles Joseph Morris, 68395, 17th Company Machine Gun Corps (Infantry), died in the 1st Canadian General Hospital in France on August 28th, 1917, from wounds sustained on August 19th. He was admitted to the hospital the following day.

His wife Clara at 12 Hampton Road, Luton, received a field card from her husband to say he was quite well, the next day a card saying he had been wounded and two days after that a letter saying his wounds were not serious and that he expected to be back shortly in "dear old Blighty". Then the day after the letter came an official telegram informing Clara of her husband's death.

Pte Morris had served for nearly three years in the Royal Fusiliers before being discharged in 1904 due to ear trouble caused by the reports of guns.

He joined up again in July 1916 in the Middlesex Regiment and volunteered to be transferred to the Machine Gun Corps. He had been serving in France since around Christmas 1916. Before his death he had spent some months in hospital after the force of a bursting shell blew him into a shell hole.

Upon his recovery he rejoined his unit and had been in the trenches only a few days when he received his ultimately fatal wounds.

Pte Morris was the son of Charles Morris, of 30 New Town Street, Luton, and the late Sarah Elizabeth Morris (died 1891). He had married Clara Swain at St Matthew's Church, Luton, on October 28th, 1905, and they had two children - Charles Stanley, born April 1908, and Constance Mary, born April 1911.

Prior to war service, Charles was employed as a straw hat blocker by Smith & Small, of Bute Street. He was also assistant trainer to the Amateurs FC in Luton.