Name
Harry Andrew Flack
8 February 1887
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
11/10/1915
28
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Lance Corporal
6937
Coldstream Guards
2nd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star, British War and Victory Medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
SAILLY-LABOURSE COMMUNAL CEMETERY
K.6
France
Headstone Inscription
None
UK & Other Memorials
Hertford Town Memorial, Christchurch Plaque, now in Holy Trinity Church, Bengeo, St Laurence Church Memorial, Wormley, Not on the Berkhamsted memorials
Pre War
Harry Andrew Flack was born on 8 February 1887 in Hatfield registration area, Hertfordshire, the son of Thomas and Eliza Flack and was baptised on 3 April 1887 in Hatfield, Herts and was one of six children, although two had died in infancy. His mother died later the same year in Little Berkhamsted, nr Hatfield.
On the 1891 Census he was living with his maternal grandparents, James and Eliza Lambert in the village of Little Berkhamsted, Herts where his grandfather was an agricultural labourer. His widowed father was then living at Tylers Causeway, Hatfield and working as an agricultural labourer. Living with him were Harry's older brothers Truman and Eli.
He married Florence Elizabeth Seymour Bone on 8 January 1910 at the Register Office in Godstone, Surrey. Their son, William Henry was born at Caterham, Surrey on 4 April 1910. They later lived at 16 High Street, Brandon, Suffolk.
Harry's regimental number of 6937 suggests that he enlisted into the Coldstream Guards in late 1906 and on the 1911 Census was living with his wife Florence and son William, aged 1, at 81 Audley Terrace, Coulsdon Road, Caterham, Surrey [close to Caterham Barracks], and his occupation stated he was a soldier. He completed 7 years service and was then transferred to the Army Reserve.
At the time of his death his home was Brandon, Suffolk, but later his wife was recorded as living at 144 Fletton Avenue, Peterborough.
[So far we have been unable to find any connection to Bengeo.]
Wartime Service
Harry was a reservist at the outbreak of war and was mobilised on 5 August 1914 and sent to France on 12 August 1914 with the 2nd Battalion, Coldstream Guards as part of the 4th Guards Brigade, and moved to the Belgian border. They saw action at Mons and the subsequent retreat, at the battles of the Marne and the Aisne before moving to the Ypres sector where they took part in the 1st Battle of Ypres in October and November 1914.
In January 1915 he was appointed Lance Corporal. The 4th Battalion took part in the battle for Aubers, before being transferred to the newly formed 1st Guards Brigade. Harry was wounded at Rue de Bois on 20 May 1915 with a gunshot wound to the hip and again at Vernelles from which he died in no. 3 Field Ambulance on 11 October 1915.
He is buried in Sailly-Labourse Communal Cemetery, France.
Additional Information
His widow received a war gratuity of £6 10s and pay owing of £5 7s 3d. She also received a pension of 15s a week.
Florence later remarried to John W Stimson in Peterborough in 1918 and lived at 144 Fletton Avenue, Peterborough.
N.B. The register of births also shows an Andrew Harry Flack with the same reference number.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Malcolm Lennox, Terry & Glenis Collins,
