Main CPGW Record
Surname: GREGSON
Forename(s): Harry
Place of Birth: Colne, Lancashire
Service No: 293148
Rank: Air Mechanic 2nd Class
Regiment / Corps / Service: Royal Air Force
Battalion / Unit: 1st Aircraft Depot
Division: ---
Age: 38
Date of Death: 1919-02-13
Awards: ---
CWGC Grave / Memorial Reference: XIII. D. 3.
CWGC Cemetery: TERLINCTHUN BRITISH CEMETERY, WIMILLE
CWGC Memorial: ---
Non-CWGC Burial: ---
Local War Memorial: EARBY, YORKSHIRE
Local War Memorial: GARGRAVE, YORKSHIRE
Additional Information:
Harry Gregson was the son of Bernard Crook and Mary Eliza Gregson, née Smith. Bernard was born at Darwen and Mary at Colne, Lancashire.
1881 Colne, Lancashire Census: 75, Albert Road - Harry Gregson, aged 1 month, born Colne. [Harry's mother and three of her children were living with her mother, Maria Smith, widow. Harry's father was living at Manningham, Bradford, Yorkshire.]
1891 Colne, Lancashire Census: 75, Albert Road - Harry Gregson, aged 10 years, born Colne, son of Bernard Crook and Mary Eliza Gregson. [Harry's parents and their children were living with Mary's mother, Maria Smith, widow.]
1901 Colne, Lancashire Census: 75, Albert Road - Harry Gregson, aged 20 years, born Colne, son of Bernard C. and Mary Eliza Gregson.
Harry was married to Jessie Edith Lake in 1908. Jessie's brother, Sgt Arthur Lake, 888, 10th (Service) Bn Royal Warwickshire Regiment, died of wounds on the 21 October 1918.
1911 Coventry, Warwickshire Census: 69, Hamilton Road - Harry Gregson, aged 30 years, born Colne, Lancashire, husband of Jessie Gregson. [Harry was also named by his parents in the 1911 Colne, Lancashire Census.]
Harry is commemorated on the Colne War Memorial.
See also:
'Colne and District Roll of Honour and War Record' by 'Colne and Nelson Times' (1920).
‘Earby in the First World War’ by Stephanie Carter, published by Earby & District Local History Society (2014).
‘From Mills to Marching and Back Again – A History of Gargrave from 1900 to 1925’ by Sue Lyall and Donavon Slaven with contributions from George Ingle, Ray Jones and Martin Thompson (2019).
‘Our Finest Crop’ by Steven Marshall, published by Earby & District Local History Society (2020).
Data Source: Craven’s Part in the Great War - original CPGW book entry
View Entry in CPGW BookEntry in West Yorkshire Pioneer Illustrated War Record:
GREGSON, Harry, aged 38, R.A.F., of Eshton, died from bronchitis, France, Feb. 13, 1919.
---
Click the thumbnail below to view a larger image.
Air Mechanic 2nd Class Harry GREGSON
Regiment / Corps / Service Badge: Royal Air Force
---
View Additional Image(s)
Additional Photo(s) For Soldier Records
Terlincthun British Cemetery, Wimille
CWGC Headstone - [Personal inscription: ‘UNTIL THE DAY DAWN’]
Courtesy of Colin Chadwick, Harrogate
View Craven Herald Articles
View Craven Herald Articles
28 February 1919
GREGSON – February 13th, aged 38 years, from bronchitis in France, Airman Harry Gregson of Eshton, Gargrave.
28 February 1919
GARGRAVE – AIRMAN’S DEATH IN FRANCE
We reproduce the photograph of Mr. Harry Gregson (of the Royal Air Force), of Eshton, Gargrave, whose death from bronchitis in France, after a short illness, occurred on the 13th inst., at the age of 38 years. He was a native of Colne, by trade a motor-body builder, and prior to being called up was a member of the Gargrave Platoon of Volunteers. He leaves a widow and four young children residing at Eshton village.
---
Comment on this Soldier Record
You can leave comments on this soldier record. Please note all comments will be manually approved before they appear on the website.
Harry Gregson is my great grandad, his eldest daughter my gran Marjorie Wilkinson lived in Earby on Longroyed Road with her husband James ‘Jim’ Wilkinson and their children Pamela ‘pam’ , Glen, Keith, Julia and Cathy
My gran had moved from Coventry with her dad to Eshton, in Coventry he had worked in the car factories as a skilled carpenter and had suffered lung damage due to inhaling sawdust. They moved to the countryside so Harry could reap the benefits of clean country air.
He worked at Eshton Hall, Gargrave as the groundsman and at the start of WW1 he was refused entry to serve his country because of ill health, as the war continued they began taking in those who were initially refused entry to serve, because Harry was a skilled carpenter he was put on the front line fixing the bi – planes, my gran always remembered this period of her life, she remembered how excited she was when they had news from him. Then in 1919 when she was 12yrs old she remembered a letter being posted through the door, she said she was really excited picked it up and ran skipping down the hall to give it her mum, she was saying to her mum “daddy’s coming home”, it was the worst news they could have received, while they thought he was safe because the war was over he passed away in a military hospital in France to pneumonia in 1919. They were devastated, Harry’s wife had a brother called Arthur Lake, he fought in all the major battles from the Somme onwards with the Royal Warwickshire regiment, he was killed 4 weeks before the armistice. As a former soldier myself and having two sons who have fought in Afghanistan we are rightfully very proud of what they did, and the sacrifices they made and they will never be forgotten. I regularly ride my motorbike through Gargrave and stop to pay my respects on the war memorial which bears his name, as does the one at Earby. The cottage they lived in at the time was close to Eshton Hall, it’s no longer there but to this day the original gate is visible as are the foundations. It is hard for people today to even contemplate what it must have been like to live in those times, to have leave such a stunning part of the country, to leave your family and friends to go to the front line in France is unfathomable for us, the closest we will get to it is if you’ve been in a conflict yourself or had loved ones who have fought, only then will you get a fraction of the emotions those families whose relatives made the ultimate sacrifice went through.
In reply to Andrew Fuller.
Harry Gregson was my grandfather, my father was Douglas Gregson. I have Harry Gregson’s “dead mans penny”and all the paperwork that goes with it framed and hanging in my hallway. Very proud of him!