Able Seaman Miles was the son of William James Miles, and Jane Jepson Miles (née Berry), and brother of Willam James and Elsie Louise.  He is believed to have married in the 3rd Quarter of 1911 but had no children as he died a couple of weeks later.

Miles was drafted to HMS FORTH for service in HMS B5.  He died by drowning having fallen overboard from the bridge of B5 in Bigbury Bay.  His body was apparently not recovered.

It is of note that the ship’s log of the parent Depot Ship, HMS FORTH, which was alongside in Devonport at the time, records at about 1930 on 20 Sep: “Charles Henry MILES departed this life – drowned from S/M B5”.  However, his Service Documents state for 21 Sep: “Accidentally drowned owing to his falling from the bridge of Submarine No. 5”.  Maybe this difference in date is simply because the accident happened late in the day and the follow up paperwork in the ship’s office occurred the day after.