Lieutenant Charles Bertram MATTHEWS
Queen’s (Royal West Surrey) Regiment and 65 Squadron Royal Flying Corps

Date of birth: 30th April 1897
Date of death: 21st May 1942

Survived aged 45
Unknown
Charles Bertram Matthews was born at "Colyton", Compton Road, Bromley in Kent on the 30th of April 1897 the younger son of Marmaduke Capper Matthews, a solicitor, and Alice Johanna Matthews of 5 Dealtry Road, Putney. He was christened at Bromley on the 13th of June 1897.

He was educated at Hazelwood School until July 1911 where he was a member of the Choir, and of the Football XI in 1908, 1909 and 1910 being Captain in the latter two years. He was a member of the Cricket XI in 1909, 1910 and 1911 when he was Captain. The school magazine wrote the following on his 1908 football season: - "(Outside right) - "Has the makings of a great player - is at present a little deficient in pace, but uses his weight well, and middles with deadly effect. We look for great things from him in the future."

Of his 1909 football season they wrote: - "(Centre half):- Captain - Is probably better as an outside right, but sacrificed himself to the needs of the side. A magnificent worker, never despairing, no matter how adverse the conditions. Has not yet mastered the art of "feeding" his forwards, while the cultivation of "heading" would enormously improve his game. A tower of strength alike in attack and defence."

They wrote of his 1910 football season: - "(Captain), (Centre half) - Superb alike in attack and defence. Possessed of pace, stamina, determination and resource, he has ever proved himself a tower of strength, is sure to make his mark in the future under either code."

They wrote the following on his 1909 cricket season: - "Made wonderful progress both as a batsman and bowler, and is very keen. Should develop into a fine player some day. Has a beautiful action as a bowler, but at present has not enough "nip" off the pitch. A fine field anywhere."

Of his 1910 cricket season they wrote: - "A very taking bat with beautiful shots on both sides of the wicket, but proved rather a disappointment during the latter part of the term. He is a fine bowler with a nice easy action, and quite our safest as well as our most brilliant scout."

They wrote of his 1911 cricket season: - "A keen and good Captain with no thought of his own performances. Lost his bowling to a certain extent; a fine bat with one or two weaknesses; a splendid field. We shall expect much of him."

On leaving the school the magazine wrote of him: - "Perhaps the greatest all round sportsman Hazelwood has ever produced - certainly the finest footballer. A grand little cricketer and golfer, and invaluable leader of the choir. Took a high place at Cheltenham - might almost have been a scholar. A typical English school boy."”

He went on to Cheltenham College where he was in Newick House until 1914. He was a member of the Cricket XI and of the 2nd Rugby XV in 1913 and of the Rugby XV in 1914.

He went on to the Royal Military College Sandhurst where he was awarded a Prize Cadetship by the Army Council. On leaving the College he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Queens (Royal West Surrey) Regiment on the 12th of May 1915. He later transferred to the Royal Flying Corps and was posted to 65 Squadron which was equipped with Sopwith Camels. The squadron left for France in October 1917. He was promoted to Flying Officer on the 7th of November 1917.

On the 12th of December 1917 he took off in a Sopwith Camel for a reserve patrol between the Houlthulst Forest and Ypres. At 9.25am he was flying over Boesinghe in the Ypres Salient at 8,000 feet with Lieutenant Vivian Wigg and three other squadron aircraft when they spotted five enemy Albatross DV scouts and an enemy two seater flying below them. The detail of the engagement which followed is contained in the squadron records: -

"Whilst on a Reserve Patrol 5 Camels of No. 65 Squadron at 8,000 ft saw 6 E.A. flying west from Roulers at 5,000ft. The Camels manoeuvred round unseen and dived on the E.A from behind. Lieuts Wigg and Matthews attacked one E.A. coloured yellow which looked like a 2 seater and fired a large number of rounds into it from close range. The machine went down vertically in a slow spin and appeared to be completely out of control. It was lost sight of in the clouds. Lieut Wigg then engaged an Albatross Scout and was attacked from above and in front by another Albatross Scout which he promptly climbed towards firing straight into his engine. The 2 machines almost collided end on but Lieut. Wigg made a sharp turn and dived after the E.A. firing again. The E.A. went down in a steep dive though the clouds smoke issuing from both sides of the fuselage behind the pilot's seat. This is confirmed by Lieut. Matthews."

The latter aircraft was confirmed as having been destroyed and was piloted by Leutnant Walter Börner of Jagdstaffel 27.

On the 28th of December he took off in Sopwith Camel B2487 for an offensive patrol to the north west of the Houthulst Forest. He was flying at 1,000 feet with 2nd Lieutenant Godfrey Bremridge when they engaged a buff coloured enemy two seater with red rings around its fuselage. Details of the action which followed are recorded in the squadron records: -

"Lieut. C.B. Matthews & 2/Lieut. G. Bremridge were returning from offensive patrol at 11.03am at 1,000 ft near Ypres. Observing A.A. bursts commenced to climb towards Houthulst - saw E.A. at about 12,000 ft. Lieut. Bremridge fired his remaining ammunition from below at about 200 yds while climbing. Lieut. Matthews continued climbing. E.A. then turned and came straight at him. he opened fire at 150 yds and continued until a collision was imminent and "zoomed" him. E.A. dived with white smoke coming from his fuselage. He turned N.E. and continued diving, followed by Lieut. Bremridge. he also observed smoke and was fired at by rear gunner. E.A continued his dive until lost to view owing to A.A. phosphorous barrage."

On the 29th of January 1918 he took off in Sopwith Camel B2487 for an offensive patrol between Staden and Westreoosebeke. At 1.05pm he spotted an Albatross DV, which was painted with green and pink camouflage and was attacking another British aircraft at 7,000 feet. He engaged the enemy aircraft and, on his return to base, he filed the following combat report: -

"I saw a camel fighting 2 Albatross and climbed towards them firing at long range whenever possible. Eventually one tried to turn directly at me. He was unable to get round and I fired into his engine at point blank range. I saw a large quantity of smoke come from it. He then did a sort of half roll and went steeply down in the directions of Roulers. I watched him fall about 3,000 ft and then attempted to attack the other E.A."

Vivian Wigg confirmed the victory: -

"I saw an E.A. in the distance in a vertical dive emitting clouds of smoke and machine then broke up in the air, one of the wings coming off. As far as I could see he was shot down by a Camel as I saw a Camel above him and there was no other machine in the immediate vicinity."

The enemy aircraft crashed at Staden and the victory was credited to Charles Matthews.

On the 22nd of March 1918, while piloting a Sopwith Camel at 11,000 feet, he was hit in the left leg by a machine gun bullet which broke the bone and severed an artery despite which he managed to land his aircraft. He was sent to the Turner Ward at the London Hospital were he was: - “making splendid recovery from recent wounds” (April 1918).

This injury forced him to resign his army career and he attached himself to Gray’s Inn with a view to the bar. He did not complete this and instead went to work for the Colonial Office in East Africa, successfully passing his examination for the civil service in Kenya on the 4th of February 1921. He resigned this post and returned to read for the bar which he successfully completed in April 1924 at the Inns of Court, being placed in Class 1 (Criminal Law and Procedure). He finished his finals at Oxford in October of the same year. He practiced law with his father's firm of G.F. Hudson Matthews & Co of 32 Queen Victoria Street, London EC4.

He was married to Enid Mary (nee Hoyle) on the 12th of February 1927 at the Holy Trinity Church, Brompton and they lived at 78 Vanbrugh Park Blackheath in London. They moved later to "Overstream", Porlock in Somerset where he helped run a family riding school and they had a son, Drummond Hoyle, born on the 5th of February 1931.

On the outbreak of the Second World War he was mobilised as a member of the Royal Air Force Reserve of Officers and was commissioned as Pilot Officer 72889 in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve on the 1st of September 1939. He resigned his commission due to ill health on the 14th of July 1941 and died suddenly at home in Porlock.
Went on to Cheltenham College

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