Charles Edward Ranger

Story:
Charles Edward Ranger was born in Shaftesbury, Dorset, in 1870 and baptised at St. James Church on 27th May 1870, the son of Charles Ranger and Sarah Anne Ranger (née Elliott).  He lived his early life in St. James, Shaftesbury.    He enlisted on 21st March 1889 and joined the Royal Garrison Artillery as a Gunner (Service No. 4219).  He saw service in India, Gibralter, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada and Bermuda until his discharge after 18 years service on 12th July 1907.   During this time he had married Emma Jane Hillier on 25th December, 1892.  It is thought they had one child. 

By 1911 Charles had moved to Pontnewydd, Monmouthshire where he had employment as a Collier Coal Hewer.  His wife died in the same year and he went on to marry Laura Frances Charles in Pontnewydd on 6th October 1916.  They had four children - one of whom died in early infancy.   Charles had been mobilized on 17th October 1914 and returned to the Royal Garrison Artillery (Service No. 71904).  He served a short time in France but spent most of the war in the UK.  He was transferred to the 16th Battalion of the Worcestershire Regiment as a Private on 27th April 1918 (Service No. 62273).  He had been diagnosed with Rheumatism in 1915 and this was a constant source of concern.  He was discharged on 19th March 1919 and awarded the Victory and British War medals as well as the 1914/15 Star.  He later applied for the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal but this was refused after an official inquiry.  By the 1921 Census he had moved to Brickyard Cottages, Newton Longville, Bletchley, Buckinghamshire, where he worked as a General Labourer in the Gravel Pits. He died in 1930 in the Northampton Registry area.