1 November 1918 : Pte Carl Watson

Carl Watson was born in Earby, Yorkshire in 1889.

Location of Earsby, west of Skipton in north west England (ccc OpenStreetMap)

His parents were Edmonson (Watson cotton twister) and Nancy.

Carl Watson was employed as a twister in a cotton mill in Barnoldswick at the time of his enlistment.

Conscripted in early 1917, he initially served as 243063 in the 2/5th Northumberland Fusiliers before being transferred on health grounds to the Labour Corps in December 1917.

After being engaged on home service duties only, he contracted influenza leading to the heart failure from which he died at Ludlow, on 1 November 1918.

The gravestone of Carl Randolph Watson. Photographs by Mike Berrell for Find A Grave (c) 2021

Carl is buried in the Ghyll Undenominational Burial Ground at Barnoldswick.The Pension Card for Carl Randolph Watson from The Western Front Association digital archive on Fold3 by Ancestry460085 Pte. Carl Randolph Watson, 555th Lab.Coy, Labour Corps

1 November 1918 died of illness

Research by David O'Mara

Sources include: Find A Grave; Census Returns 1891, 1901, 1911; The Western Front Association Pension Ledgers and Cards.