Charles Edward Fishbourne came from Ireland and was a pupil at Oakham School between 1879 and 1886 before going on to Trinity College in Dublin. He became a professional soldier and with 24 years experience under his belt was killed leading his men in the Battle of the Somme in 1916. He was first commissioned into the Lincolnshire Regiment and in April 1892 he was gazetted to 1st Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers. Charles served in the Sudan, taking part in the Nile expedition of 1898. He was involved in the occupation of Crete and was seriously injured in the Boer War in the Battle of Omdurman on 2 September 1898. He was also Mentioned in Despatches. He was Major in command of the Northumberland Fusiliers' depot in Newcastle at the outbreak of war and was immediately given command of 1st Battalion which arrived in France on 14 August 1914. The following year he took part in the Gallipoli landings, was wounded again at Suvla Bay and Mentioned in Despatches for a second time. After recovering in Egypt Charles went back to France as Lieutenant Colonel commanding 8th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers, part of 34 Brigade 11th Division during the Battle of the Somme. He was wounded near Thiepval around 27 September 1916 and died on 6 October aged 47. One of his Officers wrote: "Both officers and men worshipped him, and his going is not only a loss to the Battalion, but to the army. He was an ideal CO and we never can hope to be under anyone nearly as good." Charles was the son of Joseph Fishbourne and his wife of Ashfield Hall, County Carlow and the husband of Elizabeth Fishbourne of Edenbridge, Kent. The couple had a son. Charles is buried in St Sever Cemetery, Rouen, grave A.12.3 and is remembered on a number of war memorials including Oakham School Chapel; Trinity College, Dublin; Leighlinbridge, County Carlow; St Mary Magdelen Church, Cowden, Kent; and Adderbury, Oxfordshire. 

See where all our Rutland soldiers died during the Battle of the Somme on our interactive map.

Sources: Oakham School, The Carlow War Dead by Tom Burnell, Findagrave.com