1/7th Battalion, Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding Regiment) Regimental number 267053.
Early life:
Harry’s parents were John Anderson and Mary Elizabeth Anderson née Dale, who were married at St. Luke’s Church, Morton on the 25th of December 1874. At the time of their marriage, John was a 27 year old stone mason and Mary Elizabeth was a 20 year old servant.
In the 1871 census she was employed by (General Medical Practitioner) Doctor Thomas Fawcett and his wife Eliza and son Louis K., of 4, Park Road, Horton.
They lived in Bingley over the years while they added to their growing family, Annie was born in 1876; Clara in 1877; Sam, born in 1881 and died in 1887; Willie born in 1883 and Harry in 1896.
Harry’s birth was on 29th of April 1896 and registered at Keighley in the second quarter of the year. He was baptised at St. Luke’s Church at Morton on the 29th of July 1900.
In the 1901 census Harry was living at 15, New England Road, off Woodhouse Road in Keighley. John was aged 57 and a wall stone dresser and mason, Mary was aged 46 and looking after the family home; Clara was aged 23 and a worsted cloth weaver; Willie was aged 17 and a Railway engine cleaner (probably at Keighley station yard) Harry was aged four and still at home with his mother. Annie appears to have left home, she would be aged 24 at this time.
In the 1911 census Harry was aged 14 and living at 23, Cliffe Terrace in Keighley with his parents John now 67 and still a wall stone dresser at a local stone quarry. Mary was at home. They had been married for 36 years and produced five children with one dying young. Clara was now 33, single and a cloth weaver at a worsted mill; Willie was 27 and an iron driller for a gas and oil engineering firm; Harry was a doffer at a worsted yarn spinning mill.
War service:
There are no Army service records available for Harry but we can piece together a little of his service. We think from the newspaper record, that he enlisted in March, 1916. The soldier’s effects calculation also suggests he enlisted in early 1916. He would have gone through basic training in the UK, then possible further training at an infantry base depot once he wad disembarked in France. He would then have joined his unit in the field but we have no dates for any of this. As he was a Lance Sergeant when he died, he had clearly shown his suitability for promotion.
According to his medal record, he served with the 2/6th Battalion, the 2/7th Battalion and the 1/7th Battalion of the West Riding Regiment.
An extract from the 1/7th Battalion West Riding war diary tells us what they were doing leading up to the day he was killed in action.
WO-95/2802/1. 1/7th Battalion West Riding Regiment, War Diary for October 1918:
BUISSY AREA.
7.10.18:
Day spent in improving & constructing shelters. Salvage collected.
8.10.18:
Inspections, P.T., work on shelters & organised salving. Lewis Gun Classes.
C.O. & Company Commanders reconnoitred forward area near CAMBRAI. 2 Majors & Transport Officer reconnoitred routes to new Transport Lines.
9.10.18:
Training under Company arrangements during morning. Battalion moved off at short notice to SAILLY Area, arriving just after dusk. Improvised shelters erected.
SAILLY AREA.
10.10.18:
Battalion put under 2 hours notice to move forward and on receipt of orders moved up by march route to ESCADOEUVRES Area, arriving about 11 pm. Packs blankets etc. were dumped at SAILLY. Battalion remained in open, awaiting orders to move.
ESCADOEUVRES AREA.
11.10.18:
Operation Orders received for attack. Battalion moved forward 2 am to assembly positions East of Naves & North West of RIEUX. In positions 5 am. Battalion Headquarters established in NAVES. Right Battalion of Right Brigade on 2nd Brigade Front.
Zero hour 9 am. An advance of 1000 yards was made, the Battalion passing through the Canadians who were holding line. Towards noon the enemy counter-attacked with tanks & we withdrew 500 yards to SUNKEN ROAD running through D14.b, U.8d (Sheet 51A), where enemy were held for the night. The Battalion then became Battalion in Brigade Reserve.
12.10.18:
During night 11-12th, the enemy withdrew and the Brigade (1/7 Battalion in Reserve) moved forward to
line running approximately diagonally through U4 (South West to North West) 4 & 6 Battalions in front line pushed forward taking up position West of SAULZOIR, this Battalion taking up position just East of VINNERS-EN- CAUCHIES. The enemy apparently held a line along railway East of SAULZOIR.
SAULZOIR AREA.
13.10.18:
The Brigade, reinforced by 19th Lancashire Fusiliers attacked. This Battalion remaining in close support to the left attacking Battalion. A line was established just East of LA SELLE RIVER.
Casualties 11th – 13th:
Officers – Killed: Second Lieutenant A. Booth DCM., Second Lieutenant S.T. Price, Second Lieutenant W. Swift. Wounded: – Lieutenant A. Dacre MC., Second Lieutenant J. Bone, Second Lieutenant J.E. Gent, Second Lieutenant N.R. Kitchen, Second Lieutenant W.J. Parkyn, Second Lieutenant F. Robertshaw.
Wounded, at duty: Acting Captain W.J. Thomas. Missing and wounded: Captain J.L. Watson.
Other ranks – Killed 56, Wounded 237, Missing and wounded 1, Missing 7, Missing believed killed 1.
West of AVESNES-LE-SEC.
14.10.18:
Disposition as on 13th. Brigade was relieved by 146th Infantry Brigade in the evening.
Battalion moved to old trench system and shelters in OZZA.
15.10.18:
Rest. Brigade Cemetery formed at WELLINGTON CEMETERY, U13 central (Sheet 51A)
VILLERS-EN-CAUCHIES.
16.10.18:
Cleaning up. Reorganization and re-equipment as far as possible. At dusk Battalion relieved 5th West Yorkshire Regiment Yanks & became Reserve Battalion of Light Brigade, 4th and 6th Battalions, being in Front Line. Situation quiet. Intermittent shelling.
Keighley News. Saturday. 2nd November 1918, page 3:
LOCAL WAR CASUALTIES.
Lance-Sergeant Harry Anderson, West Riding Regiment, of 23, Cliffe Terrace, Ingrow, was killed in action on October 11th, He was 22 years of age, joining the Army in March 1916. In civil life he was employed as a wool sorter by Messrs J. Haggas and Co., Ingrow.
Harry was one of the 56 men in the 7th Battalion, killed on the 11th of October.
According to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, 54 of these men were buried at Wellington Cemetery.
There is no family inscription on his headstone but the records shows he was the son of John and Mary Elizabeth Anderson and he was born at Bingley.
The headstone schedule was returned by Clara on behalf of her parents.
Remembrance:
Harry’s name is remembered in perpetuity on his Commonwealth War Graves headstone, at grave number 7 of row B, in plot II of Wellington Cemetery at Rieux-en-Cambresis in France.
Harry is locally named in the Borough of Keighley 1914 – 1918 Great War roll of honour in Keighley Library.
He is also named on the Ingrow War Memorial, in the churchyard of St John’s Church, Ingrow.
He may also be the H. Anderson named in the Ingrow Council School war memorial which is kept at Ingrow Primary School.
Post war:
Harry’s mother Mary Elizabeth was his next of kin and sole legatee in his will. She would have received any personal effects. She or Harry’s father John, would also have received his medals which were the British War Medal and Victory Medal. These would have arrived in either 1920 or 1921 plus a bronze war memorial plaque and a memorial scroll inscribed with his name.
The soldiers effects record shows she received a payment of £6 16 8d on the 14th of March 1919 and a war gratuity payment of £13 on the 3rd of December 1919.
Mary also applied for a Dependant’s pension and received the sum of a flat rate of 5 shillings per week from the 6th of May 1919. This was confirmed as a 5 shilling weekly payment for life beginning on the 7th of September 1920. This second reference probably connected with Mary dying and John taking over receipt of the pension. Other pension cards refer to Mary’s death (in 1920) and John taking over the pension. At that time he was living at 19, Cliffe Terrace in Keighley.
Harry mother Mary died at the age of 66 in 1920. Her death was registered at Keighley in the third quarter of the year.
In the 1921 census John was aged 77 years and 9 months and still living at 29, Cliffe Terrace. He was a retired stone dresser. Also living here were Clara aged 43 and single on home duties, and William aged 37, single and employed as an iron driller working a radial drill for the Scott Motor Cycle (a Limited Company) based at Hirst Wood Road in Shipley.
The Scott Motorcycle Company on Graces Guide.
John died aged 79 in 1923, with his death registered at Keighley in the second quarter of that year.
Information sources:
West Yorkshire, Non-Conformist Records, 1646-1985.
1891 England Census.
England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915.
West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1910.
1901 England Census.
1911 England Census.
WO-95/2802/1. 1/7th Battalion West Riding Regiment, War Diary for October 1918.
Keighley News archives at Keighley Library.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919.
British Army World War I Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920.
World War I Service Medal and Award Rolls, 1914-1920.
Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, 1901-1929.
World War I Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923.
Ingrow War Memorial, in the churchyard of St John’s Church, Ingrow.
England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007.
1921 England Census.
Graces Guide.
