Hill, Charles Francis (Charles)
Rifleman
No. 17876, ‘C’ Company, 13th Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles
Killed in action on Wednesday 10 May 1916 (aged 18)
Buried:
Authuile Military Cemetery, France (Grave A. 12)
Commemorated:
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Ballygowan War Memorial
Ballygowan Presbyterian Church
BIOGRAPHY
Charles Francis Hill was born in Sheffield around 1896. He was a son of Charles Hill and a stepson of Catherine Hill who lived at The Haw in the townland of Ravara, Ballygowan.
Charles and Catherine were married around 1900/1901 (from 1911 census return).
Charles Hill worked as a farm labourer and he had at least two sons:
John (born around 1892/1893)
Charles (baptised 27 August 1896 in Darnall, Sheffield; parents Charles and Ellen Sarah Hill-Howard)
Charles Francis Hill worked as a farm labourer and his older brother John worked as a general dealer. John planned to enlist but was unable to do so after he lost an arm in a threshing machine accident.
Charles Francis Hill enlisted in Comber, trained at Clandeboye and served with the 13th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles in 108th Brigade of the 36th (Ulster) Division.
Rifleman Charles Francis Hill was killed by shellfire during the night of 10/11 May 1916 and he was buried in Authuile Military Cemetery, France. There is an inscription on his CWGC headstone:
GOD IS OUR REFUGE AND STRENGTH
Rifleman Charles Francis Hill is commemorated on Ballygowan War Memorial and in Ballygowan Presbyterian Church.
His father died on 10 November 1922 (aged 69).
His stepmother died on 22 April 1926 (aged 57).
Both recorded ages at death are at variance with ages recorded in 1911 census returns.