Charles Sorley
| Charles Sorley | |
|---|---|
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|
| Born | Charles Hamilton Sorley 10 May 1895 Aberdeen, Scotland |
| Died | 13 October 1915 (aged 20) Hulluch, Lens, France |
| Occupation | Soldier, Poet, Student |
| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | Marlborough College |
| Period | Early 20th century |
| Genre | Poetry |
| Notable works | Marlborough and Other Poems |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom
|
| Service/branch |
 British Army
|
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | Suffolk Regiment |
| Battles/wars |
First World War Battle of Loos |
Charles Hamilton Sorley (19 May 1895 – 13 October 1915) was a Scottish poet of World War I.
Born in Aberdeen, Scotland, he was the son of philosopher and University Professor William Ritchie Sorley. He was educated, like Siegfried Sassoon, at Marlborough College (1908–13). At Marlborough College Sorley's favourite pursuit was cross-country running in the rain, a theme evident in many of his pre-war poems, including Rain and The Song of the Ungirt Runners. In keeping with his strict Protestant upbringing, Sorley had strong views on right and wrong, and on two occasions volunteered to be punished for breaking school rules.
Before taking up a scholarship to study at University College, Oxford, Sorley spent a little more than six months in Germany from January to July 1914, three months of which were at Schwerin studying the language and local culture. Then he enrolled at the University of Jena, and studied there up to the outbreak of World War I.
After Britain declared war on Germany, Sorley was detained for an afternoon in Trier, but released on the same day and told to leave the country. He returned to England and immediately volunteered for military service, joining the Suffolk Regiment as a Second Lieutenant. He arrived on the Western Front in France on 30 May 1915 as a Lieutenant, and served near Ploegsteert. He was promoted to captain in August 1915.
Sorley was killed in action near Hulluch, shot in the head by a sniper, during the final offensive of the Battle of Loos on 13 October 1915. Having no known grave at war's end, he is commemorated on the CWGC Loos Memorial.
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