CAPTAIN CHARLES MAY

[Gerryh]

MANCHESTER REGIMENT FORUM

Hello

As a new member, this Forum has impressed me with its comprehensive nature and friendly efficiency.

I am the great nephew of Captain Charles May of the 22nd Manchesters, who was killed on the first day of the Battle of the Somme.  I deposited his papers at the Regimental Museum.   As many of you may know, before the Great War, May was a writer of short stories and a journalist, and after he enlisted he kept a fascinating and evocative diary.   His last entry was written just before he died.   Extracts from these diaries have been quoted in many books about the Somme and the war.   He was also the subject of a dramatised documentary on television and another programme for the BBC.  He is also featured in Forum member, Alastair Cowen's, recent history of the battalion.

By chance I am also an author, and have been approached to produce a book which will contain May's complete diaries, edited and footnoted.   In the same company were Sgt. Tawney, who after the war became a Professor at the London School of Economics, and Arthur Bunting, his batman, who was later taken prisoner.  I have permission from both families to include their first-hand experiences.   I look forward to this and will introduce them with his biography. 

After a childhood in New Zealand, I believe that May came to the UK, to Essex, with his family.   There he later met my great aunt Maude, and they married.   At some date he joined a Territorial (?) Regiment called King Edward's Horse, which had a New Zealand Squadron, but there seems to be very little information on this.  The Mays moved north, to Macclesfield, where he started to write for a local newspaper.   They could have married in Macclesfield, but I have to clarify this.

Needless to say, I welcome any information from Forum members on any aspect of Charles May's life.   I live in Ireland, so my on-the-ground research in the UK is limited to monthly visits. 

All contributions that I can use will be very gratefully acknowledged in the publication of the book, which I am aiming, of course, for 2014.   Thank you.   

[timberman]

Hi Gerryh

There are copies of his letters to his wife somewhere I'll see if I can find them.

If you go to page 10 of the snippets

Link

http://themanchesters.org/forum/index.php?topic=1991.135

There is a little bit of information and a photo of Captain Charles May.

also a bit towards the bottom of the page with another photo.

http://themanchesters.org/forum/index.php?topic=1991.msg34261;topicseen#msg34261


His grave is near the end of the video

The Last Time I Cried  by Chris de Burgh

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16gf0sMLTo0

Timberman

[mack]

hiya gerry.
capt may worked with his father in the fire alarm business and then moved north to work as a freelance journalist with the manchester evening news,he was living at 2 lyndhurst st,withington,manchester when he died.
capt may was gravely wounded by shellfire on 1st july after his company[B.coy] took dantzig alley,he carried on giving orders till the last.
his CO told his wife,if he had lived,he would have recommended him for the DSO.
he served 6yrs with the king edward horse and was in command of the manchester section,he was given a commission in january 1915 and promoted captain in february,his father charles,edward may,was a captain in the NZ army at one time

pte 21090 arthur bunting didnt survive the war either,he died as a POW in lithuania,buried in vittener cemetery,lithuania,aged 33,lived at 19 shakespeare st,ardwick,manchester,occupation,coach painter,wife effie,parents charles+emma

sgt richard,henry tawney was seriously wounded[two places] on 1st july 1916,he lay in no mans land for over 30hrs until he was brought in by the medical officer,he lived at 21 mecklenburgh square,london at the time of his death on 16-1-1962,but died at 16 fitzroy square,london.

mack

[Gerryh]

My Goodness, this is not only prompt but also very impressive.   I am most grateful.   And thanks also for the snippets.   

As far as May is concerned, I have quite a bit from my family from when May married Maude, but thanks for the info on his father.   I also understand that he was another Captain, but the NZ Army archives can't seem to find him, who also died in the War.  The fire alarm business? - I wonder which firm....  Can you tell me who May's CO was, and where can I read about him?   The fact that May was for six years in the Manchester Section of the King Edward Horse means that he must have lived in those northern parts for that length of time. ie from 1909.  I now have to rethink where he may have met Maude; I had this in Essex, where his father was then living.

And Chris de Burgh - extraordinary!

I did not know that Tawney was injured on the same day that May died, and thank you for this.   Thanks for the Attack.

I was also not aware the Bunting had not survived the camps.   Gerry.

[timberman]

He was still living at home in 1911

1911 census;

Name: Charles Campbell May
Age in 1911: 22
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1889
Relation to Head: Son
Gender: Male
Birth Place: Dunelin, Otagow, New Zealand
Civil parish: LowLeyton
County/Island: Essex
Country: England
Street Address: 7 Forest Glade, Leytonstone, Essex
Marital Status: Single
Occupation: secretary
Registration district: West Ham
Registration District Number: 188
Sub-registration district: North Leyton
ED, institution, or vessel: 31
Household schedule number: 240
Piece: 9664
Household Members:
Charles Edward May 52

Susan Laura May 47
Charles Campbell May 22
Mary Lilian Bryant 22

Mary was their servant.

Timberman

[timberman]

His entry in the CWGC site

MAY, CHARLES CAMPBELL

Rank:
    Captain
Date of Death:
    01/07/1916
Age:
    27
Regiment/Service:
    Manchester Regiment

    "B" Coy. 22nd Bn.
Awards:
    Mentioned in Despatches
Grave Reference
    II. B. 3.
Cemetery
    DANTZIG ALLEY BRITISH CEMETERY, MAMETZ

Additional Information:

Son of Major and Mrs. C. E. May, of New Zealand and London;
husband of Bessie Maude Earles (formerly May), of 1, Rue Hwys Mans, Paris.

Timberman

[timberman]

His daughter was born 1915

Pauline May
   Birth 1915

and his father was born in Kent

Timberman

[timberman]

Charles May, Captain

Captain Charles "Charlie" May, 27, thinking of his wife, Bessie, and baby daughter, showed none of his comrades' enthusiasm to go into battle.

A member of the 22nd Battalion, The Manchester Regiment, 7th Division, he wrote to his wife on 17 June, a fortnight before the bloody first day of battle of the Somme: "I do not want to die. Not that I mind for myself. If it be that I am to go, I am ready. But the thought that I may never see you or our darling baby again turns my bowels to water. I cannot think of it with even the semblance of equanimity."
Over the months his attitude changed to resigned fatalism. May's final diary entry at 5.45am on 1 July, reproduced from Malcolm Brown's history of the Somme, was among the last testaments to be written by the 19,240 Britons who would die on the Somme that day. "No Man's land is a tangled desert," he wrote. "We do not yet seem to have stopped his machine guns. These are popping off all along our parapet as I write. I trust they will not claim too many of our lads before the day is over."

Suspecting he might not return, he asked his friend, Captain F J Earles, if he would look after his wife and daughter. May led his men over the top at 7.30am that day. The 22nd Manchester's made progress across No Man's Land, but the machine guns he wrote of cut down many of the battalion - and May was among the dead. Earles kept his promise, and later married May's widow.
This from The Manchester Guardian of 13 July 1916:

'Captain Charles Campbell May, Manchester Regiment, aged 28, only son of Captain Charles Edward May, New Zealand Forces, whose death has already been announced, was killed by shell-fire on July 1, after his company had penetrated into the enemy's trenches. "Though mortally wounded," his colonel writes, "he gallantly continued to give orders and encourage his men to the last. Had he lived I would have recommended him for the D.S.O." Born in Dunedin, New Zealand, he obtained his commission in January, 1915, and was promoted captain a month later. Previously he had served six years with King Edward's Horse, and at the outbreak of war founded and commanded the Legion of Volunteers in Manchester. Captain May was well known in Manchester business quarters, and leaves a widow and one little daughter.'

Timberman

[timberman]

Letter to Charlie May from his wife, dated 30 June 1916.  
Charlie was killed the following day.
 
Images reproduced courtesy of the Manchester Regiment Museum

Infantry Captain Charlie May was one of the 750,000 men deployed by
General Sir Douglas Haig on 1 July 1916, the first day of the Battle of
the Somme. He was one of the 20,000 killed on that day –
the worst in the history of the British Army. May suspected he might
be killed and the night before the battle asked his adjutant to take
care of his wife and young child. This he did – later marrying Mrs May.

Timberman



Click on the images to make them bigger.

[timberman]

Hi Gerry

All I can find on his father?

major Charles Edward May, New Zealand Forces

is  this from Paper Past dated 1920

http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=EP19200220.2.84&l=mi&e=-------10--1----0--


It says he was awarded the OBE (Military Division)


I know it's been said he died in the war but I can't find any reference to this.


Timberman

[silkman3811]

After a childhood in New Zealand, I believe that May came to the UK, to Essex, with his family.   There he later met my great aunt Maude, and they married.   At some date he joined a Territorial (?) Regiment called King Edward's Horse, which had a New Zealand Squadron, but there seems to be very little information on this.  The Mays moved north, to Macclesfield, where he started to write for a local newspaper.   They could have married in Macclesfield, but I have to clarify this.

Needless to say, I welcome any information from Forum members on any aspect of Charles May's life.   I live in Ireland, so my on-the-ground research in the UK is limited to monthly visits. 

Hi Gerry

I'm hoping you can clarify something for me with regards to Charles and Bessie Maude May?

In your original post you commented that they lived in Macclesfield, Cheshire. Can you confirm this and do you have any verification that they were residing in the town prior to the war?

I'm sure you are already aware that Charles married Bessie Maude Holl in her home parish of West Ham, Essex in 1912. This is also where she would marry "Frank" Earles in 1919.

best regards
Steve

[Gerryh]

Hello Steve

I am afraid that you are reading my early contemplations before my research on Charlie had begun.  I have now written a fairly comprehensive biography, and included a lot of information about his father and mother.  My knowledge of his military career has been enhanced by the helpful postings I have received on this Form.

He and Maude never lived in Macclesfield - when he came north they lived in Withington, near Manchester.  I was confused by Frank Earles, who later married Maude, who was a Macclesfield man.
 
I have now edited Charlie's diaries, which will be published by Harper Collins next year, but not until May, I'm afraid.  In the book will also be the biography, an example of his poetry and a comprehensive Index.  And a big thank you to both Tameside Local Studies and the the Manchester Regiment Group Forum.

Gerry