By Peter Silkov
Charlie Allum was a hero inside, and out of the ring, losing his life in the terrible WW1. Born on April 23, 1876, in Notting Hill. Charlie started boxing as an amateur in 1896, and with such success that some of his opponents accused him of being a professional. In 1899, after the outbreak of The Boar War, he joined the 2nd Battalion of Royal Fusiliers, and in 1900 went to South Africa, where he distinguished himself, fighting at the front, especially during the Siege of Ladysmith.
On his return from South Africa, in 1903, after serving three years, Allum turned professional, and quickly became a popular performer.
Charlie would face some of the top welterweights and middleweights who were operating in England during the 1900s. Men like, Peter Brown, Charlie Knock, Pat O’Keefe, Frank Craig, Jack Scales, Jewey Smith, Jim Sullivan, and Ted Nelson.
On November 16, 1903, in his 16th contest, he won the English welterweight title, when he knocked out Charlie Knock in the 9th round. On February 27, 1905, Allum won the British and English middleweight title’s (150 pounds) when he stopped Jack Kingsland in the 10th round.
Allum lost his titles to Pat O’Keefe on April 23, 1906, when he was knocked out in the 6th round. In his next contest, three months later, on September 8, 1906, the big punching Frank Craig knocked out Allum in the 5th round. After this Allum’s career faded somewhat, with him going 9-10-3 in his last 22 contests, but he still was fighting at a good level, against quality opponents. However Allum won his last 4 fights, retiring after he beat Louis Verger on a 7th round disqualification on October 21, 1911.
With the outbreak of WW1, Allum went to France with the Royal Fusiliers, where he had the rank of Sergeant. Allum died in action in France on July 21, 1918. He was 42 years old. It is said that Charlie battled Germans bare-fisted when he mistakenly ended up at the German front, after thinking it was his own lines. He is memorialized on the World War I memorial in the cemetery at Ploegsteert in Belgium. His son,
Charlie Allum’s final record 22(12koes)-19-8.
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