Name
Harry Valentine Spooner
1893
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
13/11/1916
24
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
266754
Hertfordshire Regiment
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
CONNAUGHT CEMETERY, THIEPVAL
X. G. 4.
France
Headstone Inscription
GONE BUT NEVER FORGOTTEN
UK & Other Memorials
Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford, Watford Borough Roll of Honour, Not on the Hemel Hempstead memorials
Pre War
Harry Valentine Spooner was born in Hemel Hempstead, Herts in early 1893, the son of John and Annie Spooner (nee Holdham). His parents married on 18 November 1888 at St James the Great, Bierton, Bucks.
His parents married 18 November 1888 at Bierton with Broughton, Bucks. John died 1946 in Watford aged 80, and was buried 20 February in North Watford Cemetery; Annie died 1957 in Watford aged 88, and was buried 14 October, also in North Watford Cemetery.
Shortly before the 1901 Census, the family moved to Watford and were living at 4 Mill Road, Watford where his father was working as a Miller's Carter.
The whole Spooner family emigrated to Canada in 1911 with Joshua Spooner, sailing from London on the ship' Lake Erie' on 30 March bound for St John's., New Brunswick, although it is thought they disembarked at Halifax Nova Scotia en route to Winnipeg, Manitoba where they were listed on the 1911 Canadian Census. However, seven of them returned on 21 July 1913 to Liverpool, before returning to Watford, where his parents then lived at 241, High St., Watford, Herts.
His father John died 1946 in Watford aged 80, and his mother Annie died 1957 in Watford aged 88. Both are buried in North Watford Cemetery.
Wartime Service
He enlisted in Watford, and joined the Hertfordshire Regiment, initially with reg. no. 5248, later renumbered to 266754. His reg. no. suggests he enlisted before July 1915 and would have served in France from early 1916.
He was killed in action on 13 November 1916 during the Battle of the Ancre, when the Herts Regiment was successful in their attack of German lines and captured more than 250 German prisoners and killed many others, but which resulted in 20 soldiers killed, 5 missing and more than 120 wounded.
Harry was originally buried in Thiepval Cemetery but was 'concentrated' after the war and re-buried in Connaught Cemetery, Thiepval, France.
He was entitled to the Victory and British War medals
Additional Information
His father, Mr John B Spooner, 241 High Street, Watford, Herts,, ordered his headstone inscription: "GONE BUT NEVER FORGOTTEN". John received a war gratuity of £5 10s and pay owing of £8 8s. His mother claimed a pension but the amount received is unknown. Brother to Herbert Sidney Spooner who died in 1916 and who is named on the Thiepval Memorial.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild, www.bedfordregiment.org.uk/hertsregt., www.ourwatfordhistory.org.uk, Sue Carter (Research) and Watford Museum (ROH on line via www.ourwatfordhistory.org.uk
