Charles was born in 1877, the son of the splendidly named Louis Napoleon Courquin, a shoemaker, and his wife Mary Ann. Both came from London, but his family had roots in Calais, France. Charles worked as a house porter, living in Hampstead, London, and enlisted in St Pancras. He was assigned to the Labour Section of the Army Service Corps and crossed to France in April 1915, earning him the 1914-15 Star. Private Courquin fell ill and came to Maghull Military Hospital where he died on February 5th, 1916. He is buried in St Andrew’s Church graveyard.