Charles Ernest Dorling was born in 1892 in Earlsfield, Surrey, the eldest son of Robert Charles Dorling (born 1869 Great Ashfield, Suffolk) and Mary Ann nee Spears.  He is part of the Bacton branch of the Dorling family.

Charles’s first service date was 11 Mar 1910 & his first ship was Victory II.  In 1911, age 19, Charles was a Stoker 2nd Class, stationed at Portland, Dorset.  He is later recorded as 1st Class Stoker.     Charles lost his life when his last ship, the Queen Mary, was shelled and sunk at the Battle of Jutland on 31 May 1916.  

“The Queen Mary, a 28, 000-ton ship blew up after being struck by a salvo of shells abreast of one of her turrets. The ship seemed to collapse inwards, the masts and funnels falling together, the side of the ship being blown outwards, and the armoured roofs of the turrets being hurled 100 feet high, in the wink of an eyelid 57 officers and 1,209 men had gone to their deaths.”  From “Endless Story” by Captain Henry Taprell Dorling D.S.O Royal Navy.

Charles’s younger brother Ernest born 1894 went into the E Riding Regiment and survived the war, though in 1918 he suffered a gun shot wound to the left leg and thigh resulting in 20%-1% permanent impairment of muscular power and 2 large scars. 

Another younger brother John born 1896  joined the East Surrey Regiment Army Reserve (Special Reservists) Number 7317 in 1912, and then joined the Royal Army Ambulance Corps 18 April 1913.    On 31 Aug 1914 John enlisted at Battersea in the Duke of Cornwall Regiment,  Number  18930 (or 120930 – given in same service record), but was discharged at Aldershot on 20th October due to medical reasons. 

 John was persistent though, and at some stage received Regimental Number 19501 for the Hampshire Regiment.  After this, at some time after the Machine Gun Corps (MGC) was formed in 1915, he joined the MGC 3rd Battalion, enlisting at South Kensington, Regimental Number 7769.    With this number, John is reported as wounded.   On 23 May 1918 he is reported wounded and entitled to wear a “Wound Stripe” (War Office Daily List No.5680) and he is on the same list on 26 September.  On 29 November 1918 (War Office Daily List No.5735) reports that John was previously reported wounded now “Killed”.  His date of death is officially given as 26 August 1918.  

Their other brothers were too young for WW1.