Andrew Behan has kindly carried out some research on this man:
Serjeant Charles Lush Vinen was born in 1879 in Bristol, Gloucestershire, the only child of William Issac Viven and Frances Sarah Ann Vinen née Taylor. His father was a Furniture Cabinet Maker. The 1891 census shows the family living at 93 Olinda Road, Hackney. In 1907 he married his wife in Edmonton and their first child, Augustus William Vinen, was born on 21 July 1910 in Bordon, Hampshire. The 1911 census shows him, his wife Emma Jane and their son living at 28 Portland Road, South Tottenham. His occupation was recorded as a Brewer’s Storeman. In March 1912 he was appointed as an Assistant Postman in London’s Northern District Office, Upper Street, Islington. Their daughter, Ellen Frances Vinen, was born on 14 March 1912 and when she was baptised at St Phillip the Apostle’s Church, Tottenham on 19 May 1912 the family is recorded as living at 213 West Green Road, South Tottenham. In January 1913 he was promoted to the grade of Postman and transferred to London’s Western District Office.
He enlisted into the 6th Battallion, East Yorkshire Regiment at St Paul’s Churchyard and his service number was 3/6960. He disembarked with his regiment on 14 July 1915 in The Balkans and on 21 August 1915 was involved in the infamous battle of Scimitar Hill in which the battalion lost 28 officers and 628 men as casualties, an attrition rate of 80% for officers and 68% for men. Like so many others his body was never recovered and he was listed as 'Accepted Dead' on 22 August 1915, aged 36 years. On 9 September 1916 his widow received his effects totalling £6-19s-10d and on 20 November 1919 she was awarded a War Gratuity of £6. As he has no known grave he is commemorated on Panels 51 to 54 of the Helles Memorial, Gallipoli, Canakkale, Turkey. He was posthumously awarded the 1914-1915 Star, the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal.
Whilst researching this man I came across a ‘C Vinen’ who had served in the 2nd Battallion, East Yorkshire Regiment, service number 5901. He was awarded the Queen’s South Africa Medal 1901 with three clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State and Transvaal. Could this be the same man? I could find no trace of a 1901 census entry for Charles Lush Vinen, so could he have been fighting in the Boer War at this time? The birth of his son in 1910 in Bordon, Hampshire, was at a location where the 2nd Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment had barracks. The fact that Charles Lush Vinen had achieved the rank of Serjeant at the time of his death could also possibly indicate some previous military experience. Speculation at present, but maybe someone else will able to shed more light on this soldier.
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