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Charles Joseph Cadman MC
Lieutenant (T), Royal Engineers, Motor Cyclist Section (Special Reserve)
Mentioned in Despatches (x3)
Killed in action, 26 January 1917, aged 24
Buried at Flatiron Copse Cemetery, Bazentin, France
CWGC registered (Son of the late James Cope Cadman, MICE, and the late Betty Cadman)
WELL DONE GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT
Charles Joseph Cadman was born on 1 August 1892 at Silverdale, Staffordshire. He was the son of a mining engineer, James Cope Cadman, and his wife Betty Cadman (née) Keeling. The Census for 1901 records the family living at Silverdale House, Silverdale. Charles Cadman was educated at Arnold House School, Llanddulas and Derby School. The Census for 1911 records Charles living with his parents at Newcastle under Lyme. Charles is described as a mining student. The family later moved to “Cloverley Lodge”, Craigside, Llandudno. James Cadman died in 1914.
Meanwhile, on 24 July 1912, Charles Joseph Cadman had been awarded a Certificate of Qualification as a Surveyor of Mines. (The Institute of Mining Engineers volume for 1919/1920 lists Cadman C J [Deceased], of the Madeley Wood Company, Madeley, Shropshire as a student member of the Institute).
According to De Ruvigny’s Roll of Honour, which was compiled from family sources, Charles attended Birmingham University and had just passed his 2nd year examinations for a BSc in mining when the war broke out. On the day after the declaration of war, 5 August 1914, Charles joined the Royal Engineers as a dispatch rider. From official records, his regimental number was 28061 and when he disembarked with the British Expeditionary Force on 15 August 1914, he was a corporal. He may have joined under a scheme called “special enlistment” where men with a specialist skill were promoted to corporal and bypassed much of the basic training. He may even have provided his own motorcycle. He was commissioned on 6 October 1914 and promoted to temporary lieutenant on 11 December 1915.
Charles was Mentioned in Dispatches three times and was awarded the Military Cross on 14 January 1916 for gallantry at Ypres. He was the 150th Brigade’s signalling officer when he was killed in action near Le Sars on 26 January 1917 aged 24 and was buried at Flatiron Copse Cemetery, Bazentin, France.
Known memorials:
- Llandudno Roll of Honour
- Llandudno War Memorial
- Llandulas War Memorial
- Memorial Chapel, Holy Trinity Church, Llandudno
- Derby School Roll of Honour & War Memorial
- Llanrhos Parish War Memorial, All Saints’ Church, Deganwy
Re Charles Joseph CADMAN MC As archivist may I thank you so much for sending the Old Derbeian Society what you have about Cadman.
Derby School has an actual War Memorial, erected in 1921 on which appears the name of C.J.Cadman MC
So besides just appearing in our Roll of Honour his name liveth on the War Memorial.
In due course I intend to send photographs of the War Memorial plus the actual slate slab where his name appears. We also have an entry within the Derby School in-house magazine entitled The Derbeian, we also have a photograph of his actual headstone in the Flatiron Copse cemetery at Mametz. There is in addition the Commonwealth War Graves Commission photograph of the actual cemetery. Regards Barrie Sheard – archivist to the Old Derbeian Society.
Thank you Barrie for your comment. I have updated the information accordingly. Do you have his dates at the school – it could be in contemporary copies of The Derbeian. Thank you
By the way, I have no knowledge of sending you anything previously so perhaps you need to send your thanks to another.
Andy