Charles Thomas Anderson, Plumber

In my last blog post I introduced you to Robert Thomas Lawrence, baker on HMS India and showed the art he had contributed to Arnold's sketchbook. Today I would like for you to meet Charles Thomas Anderson, plumber. Throughout all of my research into the men of HMS India, it is those who do not have soldier numbers who have been the hardest to research (as well as those with commonly used names) so I was pleasantly surprised to find quite a bit of information on Charles Anderson. Born in 1890 in Essex, Charles was undertaking a plumbers apprenticeship in 1911 when the census was recorded. He married Amelia in 1912 and their daughter, Mabel, was born in 1913. In the Jørstadmoen camp, Charles was given the prisoner number 54 and was put in room 6. He seemed to have had trouble settling into the camp and fell in with the group of men who were spending their time and money drinking in Lillehammer when they were allowed out for shopping trips. He was arrested on the 4th January 1916 for supplying alcohol to other internees in late December 1915. It would appear that he spent a short time in gaol before being returned to the camp. After this incident he seems to have calmed down. I suspect that Arnold would not have socialized with men who were troublemakers so Charles must have reformed somewhat before being invited to contribute to Arnold's sketchbook. Charles furnished Arnold's book with a drawing and a small, witty rhyme which he has helpfully signed and dated!

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After the war Charles returned to East London where he worked at the same wharf that HMS India had been transformed from a passenger liner to an armed cruiser - Silley Wharf. He worked for Mssrs Green Silley Weeds Ship repairers as a plumber and appears to have continued to work as ships plumber for the rest of his working life. He also had another child, a son called Charles.