Name
William Charles Harper
1894
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
11/04/1918
23
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Serjeant
265438
Hertfordshire Regiment
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star, British War and Victory Medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ST. SEVER CEMETERY EXTENSION, ROUEN
P. IX. H. 12B.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Hitchin Town Memorial, 4 Co' Hertfordshire Reg' Territorials’ Memorial, Hitchin, St Mary's Church Roll of Honour, Hitchin, Hitchin British Boys' School Memorial, Hitchin, Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford
Pre War
William was born in 1894 in Melbourn, Cambs. and his parents were Reuben Charles (sometimes just Charles) and Louisa Sarah Ann Harper.
In 1901 the family were living at The Farm, Melbourn, Cambs. Present were both parents: Charles (27) and Louisa (26), with Charles (Reuben) working as a horse keeper on a farm. Their children were: William Charles (6) and Henry John (4).
By 1911 the family had moved to 95 Whinbush Road, Hitchin. Present were both parents, Reuben now working as a road labourer for Hitchin Urban District Council. The census recorded they had been married for 17 years with 2 children, all living. Both children were present with William, now 16, working as a domestic gardener. A boarder, Frederick George King (21) was also present.
William enlisted in the Herts Territorials as Private 2413, meaning that he enlisted between 27th January 1913 and 1st January 1914.
Before the war he had been employed as a gardener at the Benslow Convalescent Home. He played football for the Blue Cross Club.
Officially William was recorded as born in Melbourn, Cambs., and was living in Hitchin, when he enlisted there.
Wartime Service
As William was already a serving Territorial, he had been trained to a good extent. They were only required to serve in the United Kingdom, but like many others William volunteered for overseas service in August 1914 and was sent to France, landing there on 5th November 1914.
He served in ‘G’ Company, which was re-numbered to No. 4 Company of the 1st Battalion, after survey alongside Guards Battalions. He fought in the Neuve Chapelle, St. Julian, Arras and Passchendaele(*1). He received a head wound in March 1915 from which he recovered in Rouen Hospital.
In early 1917 he was renumbered to 265438 when all former Territorials were given six-digit numbers.
On the 25th March 1918 he received a further head wound from which there was little chance of recovery and he was sent to No. 6 General Hospital in Rouen, but he died three weeks later.
The wounds which resulted in his death were probably sustained in the retreat following the great German offensive which started on the 21st March 1918. By the time the Hertfordshires had reached the security of Amiens, the fighting portion of the Battalion had been reduced to a small cadre.
His parents received at least two letters which were reported in the local papers. The hospital Chaplain wrote: “your son was not in a state to leave any messages. He will be buried in a cemetery nearby with full military honours. God bless and comfort you, and be proud of a brave son, who gave his life for others.” The sister of the hospital wrote: “Your son was going on fairly well, but got worse last evening and died early this morning. He had a very bad wound in the head, and I'm afraid there was little chance of his recovering properly.”
He was buried near where he died in Plot P, Row 9, Grave 12B in St. Sever Cemetery Extension at Rouen in France .
Additional Information
After his death £20 16s 4d was authorised to go to his mother Louisa on 6 June 1918. Later, a war gratuity of £70 10s (an unusually large amount) was authorised to be paid to her, on 7 November 1919.
His pension cards record Louisa Sarah Ann Harper, his mother, as his dependant, living at 17 Grove Road, Hitchin. She was awarded a pension of 5s a week from 6 November 1919. After her death, the details were changed to Reuben Charles Harper and 25 Grove Road, Hitchin.
His father served in France and was wounded at least four times and his brother Henry served in Egypt with the London Regiment. All three have entries in the National Roll of the Great War
*1 His entry in the National Roll of the Great War, usually placed by family members, suggested he fought in the retreat from Mons, but this was before he had arrived in France.
Acknowledgments
Adrian Dunne, David C Baines, Jonty Wild
