1st Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment
Unfortunately, there appears to be a lack of information available on Charles Voyce particularly with relation to his military service.
Charles Voyce was born in Gloucester in 1889 and was the son of William Voyce, a waterman and his wife Annie. The couple appears to have had nine children, six boys and three girls, of whom Charlie was the third youngest. The family lived at 20A Priory Road, Westgate, Gloucester.
Although no Army Service or Pension Records appear to exist for Charles he does have a Medal Rolls Index Card (MIC) and this indicates that he originally served in the 1st Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment, with the number 8645.
This number would have been allocated towards the end of 1907 or early in 1908, which would mean that Charles enlisted at the age of 18.
He probably served abroad with the battalion, most likely in India.
The 1911 Census records that he was stationed at Cambridge Barracks, Portsmouth. It is more than likely that he originally enlisted for a period of twelve years, split between active service ‘with the colours’ and a period in the Reserve.
The exact split could vary between individuals. He was more than likely he was still within his ‘active service’ engagement when the Great War broke out in August 1914.
His MIC states that he first went to France on 13 August 1914 meaning that he went with the 1st Glosters, who landed at Le Havre on that date.
The battalion was in action during the Retreat from Mons and following this the Battle of the Aisne (12-15 September 1914). A report in the Gloucester Journal of 14 November 1914 gives his name and number as one admitted to the 3rd Southern General Hospital (Oxford) on 1 October 1914 and this ties in with a report of his death (see below) which states that he was wounded in this battle.
Interesting the report of his death states that following his recovery from wounds he was sent to Egypt and the report of his brother going missing in Gallipoli (also see below) mentions service in the Sudan. In the absence of a Service Record (almost certainly destroyed by enemy action in 1940) this cannot be substantiated and neither can the date when he transferred to the 1st Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment.
His allocated number in the 1st Royal Warwickshire, 13514, indicates that his transfer could have taken place in early 1916, as the battalion did not sustain any casualties amongst men with numbers beginning 13000 until July 1916 and the Somme Offensive.
A report of his death contained in the Gloucestershire Chronicle of 22 March 1919 confirms that he served in the Army for twelve years and that he had been demobilised on 10 March 1919, only to die in the Red Cross Hospital, Great Western Road, Gloucester on 15 March 1919, aged 30.
All indications are that death was a result of contracting influenza during the pandemic which was present at the time. He would still have been classed as in the Reserve, pending final conclusion of hostilities, following the 11 November 1918 Armistice.
His grave in Gloucester Old Cemetery is marked by a standard CWGC headstone and he is commemorated on the Gloucester War Memorial.
His brother, John (born 1896) served as 10869 Lance Corporal, with the 7th Glosters and went missing during an attack on Chunuk Bair, Gallipoli on 8 August 1915 and is commemorated on the Helles Memorial to the Missing.
Interestingly the report of his death in the Gloucester Journal of 1 January 1916 mentions that his brother ‘C Voyce’ was serving in the Sudan. However, in the absence of a Service Record this cannot be substantiated.
Research by Graham Adams 20 February 2020