Military History

Harold is listed as dying of his wounds on 28 Sep 1918 at the 56th Casualty Clearing Station in Greyvillers. The war diary indicates that he was wounded earlier on the previous day, 27 Sep 1918. The battalion war diary Narrative of Operations for 27 Sep 1918 is transcribed below.

Narrative of Operations on 27.9.1918 - Sheet Ref 57C W.E.

The Battalion left the assembly area in J.6 & J.12 at 4.50am 27.9.1918 and proceeded down the Moeuvre-Demicourt Road, thence along Sunken Road past Trout Post in K.7.C to about K.8.central, when it turned due east.

A hostile barrage was put down from Divisional boundary (right) due North and was in depth to the east of the Canal. As casualties were being inflicted, the battalion occupied  the trench running due south from about J.8.d.7.7. Previous to reaching this trench Battalion Headquarters received two direct hits, wounding Lt. C.J.B Symon MC and Lt G Stubley and several other ranks and killed Company Sergeant Major E. Irving DCM and 2 other ranks. This occurred at 6.10am.

10 minutes later the Battalion advanced – Companies in succession, each in artillery formation, and reached the east side of the Canal, suffering 20 further casualties. The battalion then moved Carey Trench near the entrance to which 2^nd/Lt E.G. St.Chance was killed and Captain C.S. Nelthorpe, MC and Captain C.P. Blacker MC were hit.

The Battalion then relieved the 2^nd Battalion Grenadier Guards who advanced towards the brown dotted line [map not provided in war diary], and took up a position as follows:- Two Companies (1&2) along Summer Lane and two companies (3 & 4) along the trench from K.10.d.4.8 to K.10.d.3.3.. On the left was a company of 2^nd Battalion Scots Guards who later on left to obtain touch on that flank, and on approaching the junction of the Hughes and Stock trenches (K.10.b.3.3.) was attacked by bomb and machine gun fire, the latter being very active and firing in the direction of Summer Lane.

O.C. Commanding No 3 Company, Lt A.N. Howard organized a bombing party under Lt J.W.S. Lane, who drove the enemy back to K.10.b.4.2 in Stock Trench. Later the Brigade on the Battalions left attack and cleared the ground due west of Graincourt, whereupon O.C. No 3 Company sent another party round by the south and east of the Germans who then surrendered – 5 officers and 50 other ranks.

In the meantime Nos 1 & 2 Companies had pushed out 3 Lewis Guns on the ridge, east of Summer Lane, No 1 Company having two men hit in establishing these posts. No 2 Companies Lewis Guns made good practice on the enemy as they retired from the vicinity of Cat Trench to Graincourt causing many casualties. The battalion spent the night in this position and withdrew at 10am on the 28^th.

During the operations the following casualties occurred:

                        Killed                    Missing                Wounded            Wounded (at duty)

Officers:              1                             -                            4                             2

Other Ranks:       6                            11                         38                            0

During the above operations the Battalion was commanded by Major J.J. Bullock. Company Commanders:- No 1 Coy – Captain C.P. Blacker M.C.
                                                      No 2 Coy – Captain A. Briggs
                                                      No 3 Coy – Lt A.J. Howard
                                                      No 4 Coy – Captain C.S. Nelthorpe M.C.