Charles Augustus Edward Bird
Royal Air Force
Date of Birth: 26th September 1869
Place of Birth: Tanjore, India (now called Thanjavur)
Date of Death: 30th July 1950
Buried: Teignmouth Old Cemetery, plot RR51
Charles Augustus Edward Bird was born on 26th September 1869 in Tanjore, India (now called Thanjavur), which is a city in Tamil Nadu.
Royal Air Force (RAF)
cap badge
His mother was Ann Frances Bird née Honeywell born 1836 in Burnham, Buckinghamshire.
He was the son of Charles Augustus Bird born 1841, his father was in a judge, in charge of the administration of the district of Trichinopoly, Madras in British India. His grandfather was General John Francis Bird of the Madras Infantry and his uncle was the artist John Alexander Harrington Bird.
In 1881 his parents, his brother John and himself were at Ashburton Villa Hammersmith, London, whilst his father was on furlough from the Indian Civil Service. They had two servants living with them (a children's nurse and a general maid).
In the May 1898 edition of "The Strad; a monthly journal for professionals and amateurs of all stringed instruments played with the bow" it says:
"B. M. (Cork) There is a good amateur maker name Charles Edward Bird (Hammersmith), but we were not aware of any of his instruments being on the market."
Answers to Correspondents section, (page 29)
In 1901 his father had retired and was a widower living with his two sons and two servants (a cook and a housemaid) in Hammersmith, London.
In 1903, Charles married Beatrice Burchett in the district of Fulham, London.
In 1911, Charles and Beatrice were living at Rosedale, the Bungalow, Ringmore Nr Teignmouth (Beatrice's home as a child in Hammersmith had also been called Rosedale). Their niece, Mary Pom(e)roy, aged 19, was staying with them. They had one servant.
Charles attested on 11 Jul 1918 with the British Royal Air Force (Service number 267088), which had been formed on 1 April 1918, he enlisted as a civilian aged 49.
1923, Charles is shown as living in Bonstone Cottage, Fiddington, Bridgwater, Somerset.
1930, Charles and Beatrice were living at Mount Morea, Holcombe in the parish of Dawlish (East).
Charles died in 1950 and Beatrice in 1960.
They are buried together in plot RR51, Teignmouth Old Cemetery.
In loving memory of Charles Edward Bird, at rest, July 30th 1950, also of Beatrice Bird, wife of the above who died May 8th 1960
When conscription (complusory enlistment) was introduced in January 1916 it initially applied to most single men aged between 18 and 41, a few months later it also applied to married men. In 1918 during the last months of the war, the age limit was raised to 51 and conscription was extended until 1920 to enable the army to deal with continuing trouble spots in the Empire and parts of Europe.
