Charles "Charlie" Pannell (1879-1960)
Soldier's son rose to Lieutenant Colonel of 20th DLI and was later Governor of Dartmoor Prison was awarded the DSO
Charles Pannell (always known as Charlie) was born in Stoke, Guildford, Surrey on 6 April 1879, the son of James and Julia Pannell. His father was a Colour Sergeant in the 2nd Queen’s Regiment and Charlie enlisted as a Private in the Queen’s Royal West Surrey Regiment on 6 March 1894. He served in India on the North-West Frontier during 1897 and 1898 and was awarded the India Medal with four clasps.
Prior to the outbreak of the First World War he made steady progress through the ranks, being promoted to Corporal in 1902, to Sergeant in 1907 and to Company Sergeant-Major in 1912. He landed in France with the Royal West Surrey Regiment on 15 March 1915 and on 27 October was commissioned as Second Lieutenant. In July 1916 he was badly wounded at the Battle of the Somme. In 1917 he was sent to Italy and was appointed temporary Captain of the 11th Battalion on 15 June 1917. Two weeks later he was promoted to Lieutenant and Adjutant of the 11th Battalion. On 29 December 1917, he was appointed a temporary Major in the 20th Battalion Durham Light Infantry and was awarded the Military Cross. On 19 September 1918 he was appointed acting Lieutenant Colonel and commanded the battalion until 1 November, having been was awarded the Distinguished Service Order.
After the war he took over from Lieutenant Colonel A V A Gayer as Commanding Officer, 20th Battalion Durham Light Infantry on 26 February 1919 and on 4 September 1919 he was transferred to the 51st Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers as temporary Lieutenant Colonel. He was appointed Adjutant in the Territorial Army in March 1920 and was promoted to Captain in the Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards) in March 1921 and retired as a Brevet Major on 5 September 1923.
Following a notable army career, he joined H.M. Prison Service and was appointed Assistant Governor of Parkhurst Prison and later he became Governor of Camp Hill Preventive Detention Centre on the Isle of Wight. In January 1932 he was transferred to Dartmoor as temporary Governor following the riot. In 1941 he was awarded the O.B.E. in the New Year’s Honours. He retired in 1944 and died in Bournemouth in1960.
The citation for the award of the D.S.O. reads: “On 14th-15th October 1918 near Wevelghem, his great gallantry and fine leadership greatly contributed to the success of the battalion under his command. During the attack on the 14th October he directed the attack on the first line personally through dense fog, and toward the end of the day placed his men in position on the final objective, exposing himself throughout to heavy shell and machine-gun fire. He has at all time shown gallantry and devotion to duty of a high order.”
Birth date: 27-Mar-1879
Death date: 28-Jan-1960
Armed force/civilian: Army
Residence: ‘St Edmunds’, Wimbledon Park Road, Wandsworth, London (1911 census)
18 Oakbury Road, Fulham, London
Employment: Assistant Governor, Parkhurst Prison
Governor of Camp Hill Preventive Detention Centre, Isle of Wight
Temporary Governor, Dartmoor
Family: Father: James Pannell
Mother: Julia Pannell (nee Rowley)
Military service:
Queen's Royal West Surrey Regiment
20th Battalion Durham Light Infantry
Northumberland Fusiliers
Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards)
Medal(s): Order of the British Empire
Distinguished Service Order
Military Cross
India Medal with 4 clasps
1914-1915 Star
Mentioned in Dispatches
British War Medal
Victory Medal
Gender: Male
Contributed by John Sheen | Durham at War Volunteer | John Edwards
