CHARLES ERNEST DITCHBURN (1904 - 1982) |
Charles Ernest DITCHBURN was born on the 26th of December 1904 at Pately Bridge,
the third child of Alfred and Annie Ditchburn, and lived before 1928 at Castle Place, Scarborough. |
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Maggie Bean |
Charlie and Maggie |
Maggie's profession was given as 'Factory Hand' and Charlie's as 'Motor Driver'. They lived after 1928 at Trafalgar Terrace, Scarborough, where they ran a boarding house. During this time they had two daughters:- |
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born 25th September 1935 at Trafalgar Terrace. |
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Tragically Maggie died on the 22nd April 1937 of Tuberculosis, aged just 29, leaving Charlie to bring up their two infant daughters, Dorothy was 7 years old and Marion about 18 months old. Maggie was buried at Manor Road Cemetery, Scarborough.
Charlie was left with no choice but to move back into the family home at 14 Ewart Street, Scarborough, sometime after the death of Maggie
Charlie was conscripted into the army in 1939 leaving Dorothy & Marion to be raised by their Aunty Evelyn and Charlie’s mother, Annie. Before the end of the War they all moved to 107 Seamer Road.
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Dorothy & Marion |
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Marion & Dorothy |
During World War 2 Charlie was on active service in Egypt.
He served as an ambulance driver attached to the 8th Army Corps (known as the ‘Desert Rats’). One sad story told by him of this time was that in 1944 he had met up with his brother Wilf, who was serving in the Green Howards. Charlie had not seen Wilf since the beginning of the War. Only a few weeks later he learned that Wilf had been killed in action at Khayat Beach, Hypha.
Returning home in 1945 Charlie put his army driving experience to good use and got a job as ‘an Omnibus Driver’.
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On the 5th January 1946 Charlie and Dorothy (Dolly) METCALFE ( born 1904, daughter of Alfred Metcalfe of 19 Newlands Park Avenue) were married at Ebenezer Chapel, Longwestgate, Scarborough. |
They lived at 26 Albermarle Crescent, Scarborough, where they worked as housekeeper and chauffer for the Reverend Richard Edgar Brown Russell. After Reverend Russell died in about 1950, he left the house to Charlie and Dolly. It was, however, too big for them and so they exchanged houses and moved to 140 Falsgrave Road where they brought up Charlie’s daughters, Dorothy and Marion. |
Charlie died on the 6th October 1982 at Scarborough of Stomach Cancer. |
Dolly died on the 30th November 1987 at Scarborough. |
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