Kolterman.+Charlie-Keighley+WW1

Charlie Kolterman.

Charlie (name as registered) was born in Keighley in 1888.He was a regular soldier, joining the West Yorkshire Regiment on 24 th September 1907 for 7 years plus 5 in the reserves, when aged 18 years and 7 months.Service number 9133.

His pre-service occupation was a moulder.

He later joined the Royal Engineers and his two service numbers are 283176 and WR 100181. In 1911 he was in barracks in Hampshire and was mobilised for war on 14th August 1914- one of the first to go.

Charlie was the only child of Albert and Keighley girl, Grace nee Lund. Albert, born in 1863 was a lodging house keeper at Turkey Street, Keighley at the time of the marriage. The only other Kolterman living in Keighley was Henry ,also a lodging house keeper at Malsis Road, born in Heligoland in 1855 who married a Keighley girl, Annie Wignall.

Charlie married Beatrice Turner in Halifax in 1912 but there is no record of any children.

Charlie remained a Private throughout his army service an was awarded three medals - Victory/British/Star, then ,on 2-9-1938 a Clasp and Rose was sent to an address in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.

It is likely that the Koltermans originated in Prussia and there are persons of the same name in Liverpool and Dublin.( there are only 15 BMD records for England for Kolterman from 1837 to 1937) Henry and Albert are probably brothers and Henry and his surviving children sailed to New York and, as "Kalter" lived in Baltimore.

There is no trace of Charlie or his wife Beatrice. in England after 1921.