Charles Edwin Stone

After carrying an urgent message through heavy shellfire, Gunner Charles Edwin Stone could have remained behind the British lines. Instead, he picked up a rifle and voluntarily returned through a devastating German barrage to defend his comrades and the guns they refused to abandon. That extraordinary act of courage during the German Spring Offensive of 21 March 1918 earned him the Victoria Cross, Britain's highest award for gallantry.

Charles Edwin Stone VC MM was a British soldier of the Royal Field Artillery whose courage became one of the defining acts of artillery heroism during the First World War. Born on 4 February 1889 at Street Lane, Ripley, near Belper, Derbyshire, England, Stone worked as a miner before enlisting in the British Army at Sutton-in-Ashfield on 12 September 1914. Assigned service number 34328, he joined C Battery, 83rd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, part of the 18th (Eastern) Division. After completing his training, he deployed to France in July 1915 and served exclusively on the Western Front throughout the war.

Stone's courage was first officially recognised with the Military Medal. The award was published in the London Gazette on 4 February 1918, identifying him as 34328 Gunner C. E. Stone, Royal Field Artillery (Sutton-in-Ashfield). As no citation accompanied the Gazette announcement, the precise action for which the Military Medal was awarded cannot be stated with certainty without supporting service records or unit war diaries.

Only weeks later, Stone performed the action that secured his place among Britain's Victoria Cross recipients. On 21 March 1918, during the opening day of the German Spring Offensive at Caponne Farm, France, he remained at his gun for six hours under intense gas and shell fire. After successfully carrying an order to the rear, he voluntarily returned through the barrage with a rifle to reinforce the forward gun position. Fighting from exposed ground under heavy machine gun fire, he protected the flank of the remaining guns, pursued and killed an enemy soldier who had broken through the position, and later helped capture an enemy machine gun and four prisoners. His determination enabled the gun detachments to continue fighting at one of the most critical moments of the battle.

For this conspicuous gallantry, Stone was awarded the Victoria Cross. His award was announced in the London Gazette in May 1918, where he was identified as No. 34328 Gunner Charles Edwin Stone, MM, Royal Field Artillery. His official citation praised his courage, initiative and devotion to duty in helping save the gun detachments and keeping the battery in action despite overwhelming enemy pressure. He later attained the rank of Bombardier before leaving the Army after the war.

Returning to Derbyshire after demobilisation, Stone resumed civilian life, first working in the mining industry and later with Rolls-Royce in Derby. A quiet and modest man, he never married and rarely sought recognition for the actions that had made him one of Britain's highest decorated artillerymen.

Charles Edwin Stone died in Derby on 29 August 1952, aged 63, and was buried with military honours in Belper Cemetery. His grave commemorates both his Victoria Cross and Military Medal, while his story continues to stand as a powerful reminder that true heroism is measured not by rank, but by the willingness to return to danger when others need you most.