Private, 1484, 9th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers.
Charles Frederick Cox is an alias. His real name was John James ‘Jack’ Cox.
John was born in Teddington, Middlesex on 17th August 1890, one of the thirteen children of Henry William Cox (a council labourer) and Elizabeth Jane Cox.
He enlisted as Private 8447, Oxfordshire Light Infantry at Kingston, Surrey on 25th April 1907, giving his age as 19 years and 7 months – three years older than his true age. He went to India on 5th December 1907 with the 1st Battalion and on 14th November 1908 he was tried by court-martial and sentenced to 28 days’ hard labour for Stealing goods the property of a comrade. He left India and went to Burma on 17th January 1909, but contracted malaria and left Burma in March 1912 and returned to England where he was found medically unfit for service. He was officially discharged on 12th April 1912.
He then returned to Teddington, and his family, and worked as a labourer, having been awarded an army pension.
On 22nd January 1913 he enlisted, using his brother's name, as Charles Frederick Cox, 4963, Rifle Brigade and was posted to the 1st Battalion on 7th June 1913. He was constantly in trouble and eventually he deserted on 3rd January 1914. Although on the run he enlisted on 27th January in the Army Service Corps as William Henry Smith. He was arrested on 3rd February and was convicted at Chelmsford Court on 8th June and sentenced to three months’ hard labour.
He was discharged by the Rifle Brigade on 16th July, but re-enlisted, this time in the Royal Fusiliers, at the end of 1914, again using his brother's name and went to France on 1st June 1915.
Charles Cox died on 7th July 1916, aged 26, during an attack on Ovillers.
He is also commemorated on the Teddington War Memorial.
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