| Date of birth: | 1892 |
| Place of birth: | South Petherton, Somerset |
| Regiment: | Royal Engineers |
| Battalion: | 71st Field Coy. |
| Rank / Service No: | Sapper, 25013 |
| Died: | 2nd March 1919, aged 27 years |
| Buried: | Southampton (Hollybrook) Cemetery (B.01.94) |
There is no proof that Henry or his family had anything to do with Southampton, so it is a bit of a mystery why he is buried in Hollybrook.
Henry was the seventh of 11 known siblings born to John James and Annie May Harwood (nee Mercer), who married in Walmer, Kent on 18 March 1875.
The couple had 13 children, so it must be assumed that two died in infancy.
John James was born in Taunton in 1849 and he died on 8 August 1927 in South Petherton.
Annie was born in Walmer in 1854 and she passed away in Ware, Hertfordshire in 1939.
Siblings
Ada Louisa b. 1876 Walmer d. 1938 Battersea Married William Mason in Islington in 1902.
Ernest John b. 1877 Walmer d. 1929 Pontypridd Married Beatrice Ada Taylor in Taunton in 1899.
Ethel May b. 1880 Taunton d. 1966 Yeovil
Frederick William b. 1886 Taunton d. 1938 Southampton
Allan George b. 1888 Taunton d. 1954 Taunton
Rosina b. 1889 Taunton d. 1976 Yeovil Married Robert G. Leworthy in Yeovil in 1932.
Henry Harold
Alice Maud b. 1894 South Petherton d. ??
Elsie Mary b. 1896 South Petherton d. 1967 Ware
Charles Albert b. 1898 South Petherton d. 1982 Yeovil Married Daisy M. Scott in Yeovil in 1926.
Albert Edward b. 1900 South Petherton d. 1973 Yeovil Married Ivy E. Mabey in Yeovil in 1931.
The 71st Field Company was attached to the 13th (Western) Division when they left for Gallipoli on 13 June 1915, via Alexandria.
The entire Division landed at Anzac Cove between 3 – 5 August 1915.
On 8 January 1916, the Division was evacuated from Helles and, by 31 January, was concentrated near Port Said in Egypt.
On 12 February, the Division began its move to Mesopotamia, joining the force being assembled to try and relieve the besieged garrison at Kut.
The Division took part in all the major actions of 1917 and was part of the force that took Baghdad.
By 28 May 1918, the Divisional HQ had move to Dawalib in northern Iraq, an inhospitable place where temperatures regularly hit 111 degrees Fahrenheit in the shade.
It is probable that Henry succumbed to sickness, which was rife in Iraq amongst the Commonwealth forces.
| Researcher: | Mark Heritage |
| Published: | 28th September 2016 |
| Updated: |
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