Harry's Story.
Harry had been born in the Adswood area of Stockport and his birth was registered at Cheadle in 1893. His parents, Tom and Sarah (nee Whitehead) had married at St Mary's Church, Cheadle in the late 1880s. The 1901 Census confirms that Tom earned his living working as a coal dealer's assistant. By the time of the Great War, he had married Edith. They lived with her parents at 139 Hall Street, Stockport. Harry worked at the Brinksway Dye Works until he enlisted in early 1916.
He probably went overseas, after training, in the autumn. On 5 August 1917, Harry went into the front line for the last time. The Battalion took over a section of trenches, from the 9th North Lancashire’s, at Bellwaarde Ridge, two or three kilometres east of the town centre of Ypres (now Ieper). There is scant information in the Battalion's Diary for this tour of duty and no information at all for the day Harry was killed. His lack of a known grave might suggest that he was killed by shellfire, but this must remain speculation. By the early 1920s, when the War Graves Commission was collating its casualty information, Edith had remarried (to a Mr Pearson) and was living at 1 Archer Court, King Street West, Stockport.
He probably went overseas, after training, in the autumn. On 5 August 1917, Harry went into the front line for the last time. The Battalion took over a section of trenches, from the 9th North Lancashire’s, at Bellwaarde Ridge, two or three kilometres east of the town centre of Ypres (now Ieper). There is scant information in the Battalion's Diary for this tour of duty and no information at all for the day Harry was killed. His lack of a known grave might suggest that he was killed by shellfire, but this must remain speculation. By the early 1920s, when the War Graves Commission was collating its casualty information, Edith had remarried (to a Mr Pearson) and was living at 1 Archer Court, King Street West, Stockport.