STARK, Charles W

Charles was born 1893 in Newport was the youngest son of Leonard & Martha (nee PEARCE) STARK who were living at 2 ‘The Villas’ Fairlee Road in Newport around the time of Charles’ death.

Charles served as a Rifleman with the 8th Bn. known as the Isle of Wight Rifles. 900 Rifles landed at Sulva Bay, Gallipoli, on 10th August 1915.

On the 12th August, together with other members of the 163rd Brigade, the Rifles were ordered to advance & occupy a ridge of hills in front of them, & in doing so, cut off the Turkish armies in the area of Anzac beach & cape Helles, in order to dominate the Dardanelles straights.  During the first attack, 8 officers over 300 men of the Rifles were reported killed or missing.

Charles was wounded during the Anafarta Ridge offensive. He was invalided off Gallipoli on a hospital ship destined for Malta but died during the voyage on the 14th of August 1915 & buried at sea. Charles is commemorated by the Commission on this Memorial to The Missing alongside 20,961 of his First World War comrades.

Charles is also remembered on the County, Newport Borough & IW Rifles War Memorials.