Charles Edward Holgate was the eldest son of Charles Herbert Holgate and Margaret Ann Lambert who married at All Saints Church Batley on 19 November 1892. Charles was a miner and Margaret worked as a weaver.  The couple began their married life in Morley where Charles Edward was born and his birth registered in the first quarter of 1894. When the census was taken in the spring of 1901 the family was living at Little Fountain Street, Morley. Margaret had two more sons, sadly one dying in infancy, and Charles Herbert was working as a stone quarryman. A fourth son completed the family in 1906. 

By 1911 the family had moved to 39 Richmond Street, Batley. Charles Henry still worked in a quarry, whilst 17 year old Charles Edward and his younger brother John worked in the textile industry as worsted piecers. This involved repairing broken threads as the spinning machine was running in order to keep the process going and called for a high level of speed and dexterity. Though no evidence has been found, it appears that Charles married Margaret Millar Craig Gillies at some point; they lived on Bankfoot Street and had a daughter, Margaret Gillies Holgate in January 1916.

Though his service records have not survived, we know that Charles enlisted in Batley, probably in the late spring of 1916. The second Military Service Act had come into force in May 1916, so it is possible that Charles had received a notice to enlist. He joined the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, as his brother John had done, and served in 6th (Service) Battalion.

Unfortunately it is not known when Charles disembarked in France, so the only time that we can be sure he was with his battalion is from 4 May 1917 when the the last draft of men arrived to join the battalion before Charles’ death. Of course, Charles could well have been with 6th Battalion in the field for several months before this.  On 2 May the men moved from  Ronville to Cojeul Switch, a trench system near Arras, and spending the whole of the first week of May in the front line. On the night of 6/7May the men had to endure a very heavy barrage, which the adjutant writing the war diary described very colourfully  'During the whole time the enemy put up a wonderful display of fireworks, red, green, blue and golden rain.’ No doubt, not much fun if you were in the firing line!

On the night of 10/11 May the battalion took over a section of the front  south of Kestrel Lane and a new line to the right, west of Cherisy. The new section of line escaped the heavy shelling that the men on the left side had endured on 11/12 May. The war diary notes that Battalion headquarters were in an old quarry which had been an enemy gun position and were heavily shelled during the night.  The war diary lists casualties for the month, showing 308870 Pte. C E Holgate as being wounded on 13 May. Initial burial reports say that he died on 10 May, all other documents report that Charles died on 12 May. Charles was initially buried close to where he fell and was reburied in Wancourt British Cemetery after the war ended.  He is also remembered on the Batley War Memorial. Charles’ death was announced in the Leeds Mercury on 26 May.

For his service to his country Charles earned the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. His accrued pay and War Gratuity payment of £3 were sent to his widow, Margaret, who was also awarded a pension of 18/9 a week to help bring up her daughter.  Margaret remarried in 1921. Charles’ daughter married in 1940 and died in 2011.