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Colonel Charles Henry PRICKETT DSO, Serbian Order of the White Eagle 4th Class
Royal Engineers Date of birth: 23rd July 1881 Date of death: 24th September 1958 Died aged 77 Unknown
Charles Henry Prickett was born at The Avenue, Bridlington in Yorkshire on the 23rd of July 1881 the second son of Dr Marmaduke Prickett MD and Alice (nee Mortlock) Prickett of 12 Devonport Street, Bridlington. He was educated at Hazelwood School until July 1895 where he was Captain of the Cricket XI in 1895. The school magazine wrote of his cricket season that year: - "Captain, and a very zealous and efficient one. A vastly improved bat, having learned to stand up to leg stump balls, and plays very hard both forward and back. His bowling has hardly improved so much as we'd hoped." The school magazine wrote the following of him when he left the school: - "....follows his brother to Marlborough which will be a distinct gainer by his presence. He is a mathematician far above the average, a first rate bat, and good bowler; a very fast runner and fair football player, an excellent fencer, and a promising draughtsman and painter." He went on to Marlborough College where he was in Summerfield House from September 1895 to December 1898. He won a School Exhibition and won the Author's Scholarship in 1898. He passed 12th out of 90 candidates in the examination for the Royal Military College Woolwich in January 1899. In early 1900 he passed out 3rd out of 78 candidates for the Woolwich examination for commissions into the Royal Engineers and won the Sword of Honour. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Engineers on the 2nd of May 1900 and joined his Corps at Chatham on the 18th of May. In December 1901 he was ordered to South Africa where he served under General Plumer in the Boer War and later under General Kitchener. He received the Queen's Medal with four clasps. He was placed in charge of the Telegraph Section at Pretoria and was Telegraph Officer for General Stephenson., He was promoted to Lieutenant on the 2nd of May 1903 and in October 1906 he returned home and was posted to Bulford Camp on Salisbury Plain. He was promoted to Captain on the 2nd of May 1910. He was married, by special licence at Amesbury Parish Church to Margaret (nee Kemp) on the 11th of August 1914. On the outbreak of war he was ordered to France and arrived there on the 16th of August 1914, joining General Smith-Dorrien and took part in the retreat from Mons. General Smith-Dorrien wrote to his wife: - "Charles Prickett is in splendid health and doing magnificent work." He was mentioned in Sir John French's despatches of the 19th of October 1914 and again in February 1915. He was created a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order on the 18th of February 1915 for "Services in connection with operations in the field." and was summoned home the same month and appointed Divisional Signalling Camp Instructor in the New Army of Lord Kitchener during which time he was based at several camps, the last one being Shefford, near Hitchin. He was posted to Salonika on the 14th of January 1916 and was stationed at the headquarters of 10th Corps near the River Struma. He was promoted to temporary Major on the 29th of January 1916 while in command of an Army Signal Company. He was mentioned in despatches on three more occasions for his work there. He was promoted to Major on the 18th of October 1916, to temporary Lieutenant Colonel on the 6th of November 1916, and to Brevet Lieutenant Colonel on the 3rd of June 1918. He was awarded the Serbian Order of the White Eagle 4th Class on the 1st of November 1918. He joined the Corps of Signals in 1920, was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel on the 28th of June 1920 and to Colonel on the 14th of November 1925 with seniority from the 3rd of June 1922. From the 6th of May 1926 he was appointed as Chief Signal Officer, Aldershot Command until the 11th of February 1930 when he was promoted to Temporary Brigadier and posted as Commandant of the Signals Training Centre at Catterick. He retired from the army on the 11th of February 1934 with the honorary rank of Brigadier. He was fond of all games and was a good rider, winning the Military Steeplechase when based at Bulford Camp, and was a member of the Army and Navy Club. He later moved to South Africa where he lived at Newlands Montrose, Pietermaritzburg. He died at Pietermaritzburg, South Africa after a short illness.

Went on to Marlborough College