Name
Harold Coles
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Biography
Harold Coles was associated with Abbots Langley through his marriage to Ada Atkins in the autumn of 1912 at Watford. Ada lived with her parents Arthur and Ada (senior) Atkins at 24 Breakspeare Road, Abbots Langley. She was the youngest member of the family, and two of her brothers served, and survived the War.
Harold Coles was recorded in the Abbots Langley Parish Magazine Roll of Honour from May 1915, serving with HMS “Osprey”, a Royal Navy destroyer. The Navy Records indicated that he had been a serving sailor since around 1912/13. From the outbreak of War in 1914 HMS “Osprey” was based at Scapa Flow and engaged in anti-submarine patrols, whilst the defences of the major naval base were improved. From November 1915 HMS “Osprey” was based at Larne, in Northern Ireland, and was deployed to protect the North Channel. It continued with this assignment throughout the rest of the War.
In January 1917 the Parish Roll of Honour recorded that Harold had been transferred to HMS “Martin”, probably sometime in 1916. HMS “Martin”, also a destroyer, was assigned to patrolling the seas to the north of Ireland, and was based at Buncrana close to Londonderry/Derry. The Roll of Honour continued to record Harold serving with HMS “Martin” until the end of the War, and the Absent Voter Record of Autumn 1918 also indicated that he was serving as a Lieutenant aboard the same ship. The Absent Voter Records of Spring and Autumn 1919 recorded that Harold had been transferred to HMS “Ursula”, one of forty-five destroyers based at Harwich and part of the Harwich force assigned to scouting and defending the adjacent area of the North Sea. Harold continued to be recorded in the Absent Voter Records serving with the Royal Navy until at least 1923, which confirmed that he was career sailor. In each of the Absent Voter Records he indicated that his home address was Abbots Road in Abbots Langley.
Harold’s brothers in law, Henry and Arthur Atkins both served in the War, and survived.
Harold Coles survived the Great War.
Acknowledgments
Roger Yapp - www.backtothefront.org
