Draft:Charles Frederick Dingwall

Early Life

Charles Frederick Dingwall was born on the 15^th April 1893 in Bloomfield, Caterham, Surrey. Charles grew up at Shepley House in Carshalton which was situated on the north side of Strawberry Lane in Carshalton (no longer exists). Charles was educated at Eton College and went to further his education at Trinity College, Cambridge.

East Surrey Regiment

Charles commissioned into the Army on the 21^st April 1913 and attended the Cambridge Officers Training Corps (OTC). He was promoted to the rank of Second Lieutenant 3^rd December 1913 aged 20 (3^rd Battalion East Surrey Regiment (Reserves), promoted to Lieutenant on the 1^st November 1914 and sent overseas to the Western Front to join the 1^st Battalion East Surrey Regiment 3^rd November 1914.  

CFD was with the 1^st East Surreys on the Western Front until the 10^th Jan 1915 where he temporarily joined the 1^st Devonshire Regiment until 21^st/23^rd Jan ’15. Charles was admitted to No.2 Casualty Clearing Station in Bailleul, France suffering from Laryngitis and then sent to London a few days later. He was treated at The Hon. Mrs Robert Lindsay’s Hospital for Officers 7 Charles Street, Mayfair (Today: W1J 5DQ). He was discharged on the 30^th January 1915. He was promoted to Captain 2^nd February 1916.

Machine Gun Corps

Charles was seconded for duty with the Machine Gun Corps 27th March 1916. He joined the 62^nd MGC between 25^th – 27^th July 1916 in France for three months and was appointed second in command. On the 24^th October 1916, he proceeded to join the 123^rd MGC and on the 1^st Nov 1916, he assumed command of the 123^rd Machine Gun Company in Belgium (St Eloi sector). He commanded the 123^rd MGC for six months and on the 3^rd June 1917, he was recalled back to Grantham as a Machine Gun training officer. Charles joined the 6^th Battalion MGC on the 19^th April 1918 and assumed command of D Company on the ramparts of Ypres. He was transferred to the Sick Convoy on the 13th May 1918 and was discharged on the 28th May 1918 due to gas poisioning. Charles returned and continued to serve with the 3^rd Battalion East Surrey Regiment (reserves) and demobilized on the 13^th February 1919 when his war finally came to an end.

Post War and Personal Life

Charles became a director of Portal, Dingwall & Norris and in addition was appointed chairman of the Chicago Breweries and the Anglo-American Debenture Corporation. A few years later, he became director of Barker & Co (Automotive body manufacturers). In 1927, he joined the Hoyal Body Corporation Ltd (AKA Chalmer & Hoyer) and took charge of the development of the department dealing with special coach-work for all makes of high-grade chassis.

Charles married Rosamund Elena Lanthrop Luling on the 10^th June 1925 in the parish of Wimbledon in the county of Surrey (St Mary’s Church). They had no issue.

Owing to his illness as a result the gassing in 1918, Charles served in the Royal Observer Corps during the early years of World War Two.

Major Charles Frederick Dingwall died on the 8^th September 1941 at the age of 48. He was buried on the 11^th September 1941 and now lies in plot G54 at Milford Cemetery.

Family

Charles was the son of Charles Arthur Dingwall and Frances Kathleen Dingwall (nee Danvers) and the second youngest of a family of seven siblings:

• Kathleen Mary Dingwall 1880 - 1915
• Hilda Rochfort Dingwall 1881 - 1963
• Eileen Grace Dingwall 1884 -
• Alice Sheelah Dingwall 1886 - 1962
• Dulce Fordyce Dingwall 1888 - 1916
• Charles Frederick Dingwall 1893 - 1941

• Juland Patrick Dingwall 1896 - 1910

Charles Arthur Dingwall was aboard the RMS Lusitania on the 7th May 1915 and lost his life at sea.