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Harry SPENCER

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Surname: SPENCER

Forename(s): Harry

Place of Birth: Burnley, Lancashire

Service No: 14252

Rank: Private

Regiment / Corps / Service: Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding Regiment)

Battalion / Unit: 8th (Service) Battalion

Division: 11th (Northern) Division

Age: ---

Date of Death: 1918-11-01

Awards: ---

CWGC Grave / Memorial Reference: ---

CWGC Cemetery: ---

CWGC Memorial: ---

Non-CWGC Burial: EARBY (WHEATLANDS) CEMETERY

Local War Memorial: EARBY, YORKSHIRE

Additional Information:

Harry Spencer was the son of Thomas and Rosannah Ellen Spencer, née Holden and brother of Sergeant John William Spencer (266399) (q.v.). Their father was born at Todmorden, Yorkshire and mother at Newchurch, Lancashire.

1891 Burnley, Lancashire Census: 23, Greenhalgh Street - Harry Spencer, aged 7 years, born Burnley, son of Thomas and Rosannah Spencer.

1901 Earby, Yorkshire Census: 7, James Street - Harry Spencer, aged 17 years, born Burnley, Lancashire, son of Thomas and Rosehannah Spencer.

Harry was married to Florence Jemima Waring in 1904.

1911 Earby, Yorkshire Census: 10, Lincoln Road - Harry Spencer, aged 27 years, born Burnley, Lancashire, husband of Florence Jemmia Spencer.

British Army WW1 Medal Rolls Index Cards: Cpl Harry Spencer, 14252, West Riding Regiment. Theatre of War first served in: 2b - Balkans. Date of entry therein: 7 July 1915. Discharged: 11 July 1917. Mrs. F.J. Spencer applies for her late husbands medals 19 January 1926. Address: Widows Hosptl, St.Vincent de Paul, Vallyfield, P. Quebec.

See also:
‘Earby in the First World War’ by Stephanie Carter, published by Earby & District Local History Society (2014).
‘Our Finest Crop’ by Steven Marshall, published by Earby & District Local History Society (2020).

Data Source: Local War Memorial

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Entry in West Yorkshire Pioneer Illustrated War Record: ---

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No photo available for this Soldier
Regiment / Corps / Service Badge: Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding Regiment)

Regiment / Corps / Service Badge: Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding Regiment)

Divisional Sign / Service Insignia: 11th (Northern) Division

Divisional Sign / Service Insignia: 11th (Northern) Division

Data from Soldiers Died in the Great War 1914 - 1919 Records

Soldiers Died Data for Soldier Records

Surname: No entry in SDGW.

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Notes:

Data from Commonwealth War Graves Commission Records

CWGC Data for Soldier Records

Surname: Not commemorated by the CWGC.

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View Craven Herald Articles

View Craven Herald Articles

Craven Herald and Wensleydale Standard Logo

25 August 1916

EARBY SOLDIER’S FOOT BLOWN OFF

News came to hand on Wednesday morning that Pte. Harry Spencer, 8th Duke of Wellington’s, had been severely wounded in France on the Tuesday previous. He is the eldest son of Mr. Thomas Spencer, 11, Albion Road, Earby, at which address his wife and four young children also reside. Private Spencer had only been in France since the beginning of last month, but had previously fought in the Dardanelles, where he took part in the Suvla Bay landing, and came through without a scratch. He had since been in Egypt. In a letter to his wife he writes:–

“I am just breaking the news gently; but don’t let this trouble you. I was just arriving at my billet on August 15th and had just got to the gate when a shell burst at my feet, and blew my left foot off and took a piece out of my thigh. I think myself lucky I had not my head blown off. I shall be in England when you get this, so do not write until you hear from me again.”

Mrs. Spencer received by the same post the following letter from a nursing sister at the 37th Casualty Clearing Station, dated August 18th:–

“Just a line to let you know that your husband has been badly wounded, and is now a patient in this hospital. His condition was, I am sorry to say, very serious, but these last two days he has shown signs of improvement, and is to-day feeling much better. His ankle was so badly smashed that the doctor had to amputate the leg, and his general condition since has been much better. In the meantime please rest assured he is having the very best attention and care. If he still continues to improve, as we all hope and pray that he will, he is sure to be transferred to one of the base hospitals in a few days…”

12 October 1917

EARBY – Wounded Soldiers’ Benefit

On the initiative of Mr. Abraham Berry a very successful dance was held in the Albion Hall on Saturday evening for the benefit of Mr. Harry Spencer, Albion Road, Earby, a discharged soldier who lost a leg last year in France. A nett sum of £9 has been handed over as the result of the effort.

08 November 1918

EARBY – Ex Soldier’s Death from Influenza

The death took place, from influenza, on Friday, at Morecambe Hospital, of Mr. Harry Spencer, of 9, Cowgill Street, Earby. Deceased, who was 36 years of age, enlisted in the Duke of Wellington’s in the early part of the war, and served in the Dardanelles and Egypt before going to France, where he was severely wounded and had one foot amputated. After a tardy recuperation he was supplied with an artificial limb, and for the past three or four months had been working on munitions at Lancaster, when an attack of influenza necessitated his removal to hospital. He leaves a widow and four children. The funeral at Earby Cemetery on Wednesday afternoon was attended by some 30 members of the Earby Discharged Soldiers’ Association, accompanied by a bugler who sounded the ‘Last Post’ at the graveside. The Rev. J. Rogers (United Methodist) was the officiating minister.

View West Yorkshire Pioneer Articles

View West Yorkshire Pioneer Articles

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17 September 1915

EARBY LADS WITH THE 8th DUKE OF WELLINGTON’S

News of Comrades

Private James Walsh, son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Walsh of 79 Colne Road, Earby, who is in the 8th Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment, has written home some interesting war-jottings, in which he says:– “You will find me a different lad if I get home again. We have been in some stiff ‘does’ and have suffered heavily, 320 being left out of 1000 of us. Our brigade has done very well, but we have paid the cost. The General says he wished he had all his Yorkshire lads back. Our Brigade has been in front on all the big advances, and that is a big honour. I am afraid H. Burrows is badly wounded. I went out of the dug-out in the trenches at five o’clock on Sunday, the 22nd, to find water for myself and pals. I found some about 200 yards away. Before five at night there had been about thirty shot down going to that well, and we could see them all. It was rotten. Never mind, I have come through so far, and I may come through all right at the end. We had a service on the beach last night, and we sang the hymn, ‘Lead, kindly light’. Well it takes a bit to move me, but that made me cry. I have prayed above once. As I am finishing this letter H.T. Smith has just come in, having been missing three days. R. Hewtson, E. Smith, J.T. Illingworth, H.T. Smith, H. Spencer (tackler), L. Trotter and J. Walsh are all well. Both Clarkes are wounded.”

Another Earby lad, Private N[H].T. Smith, of the same regiment in the Dardanelles, writes:–“We made an advance on the 22nd and 23rd, but I am sorry to say we paid very dearly for it. We were cut up terribly, and the worst part of it was that we lost a lot of Earby lads. Some of them, I am afraid, you will never see again. This is not civilised warfare; it is simply murder. It simply rained bullets and shrapnel, but I am still amongst the survivors. I was cut off from my regiment for three days, but I managed to fall in with the Munster Fusiliers, and I might mention here that my name has been sent in for being dead whilst under fire with the Munsters. You will perhaps have heard of this before you get my letter. One of the Clarkes from Earby got a bullet through the eye, and another is wounded. Burrows is wounded. Stockdale, Aldridge, Cross, and T. Hargreaves of Barnoldswick are missing. Sam Rigby is alive but taken prisoner, so you may tell his mother not to be downhearted, because I am confident he is alright.

25 September 1916

EARBY SOLDIER’S FOOT BLOWN OFF

News came to hand on Wednesday morning that Private Harry Spencer, 8th Duke of Wellington’s, had been severely wounded in France on the Tuesday previous. He is the eldest son of Mr. Thomas Spencer, 11, Albion Road, Earby, at which address his wife and four young children also reside. Private Spencer had only been in France since the beginning of last month, but had previously fought in the Dardanelles, where he took part in the Suvla Bay landing, and came through without a scratch. He had since been in Egypt. In a letter to his wife he writes:–

“I am just breaking news gently, but don’t let this trouble you. I was just arriving at my billet on August 15th, and had just got to the gate, when a shell burst at my feet, and blew my left foot off and took a piece out of my thigh. I think myself lucky I had not my head blown off. I shall be in England when you get this, so do not write until you hear from me again.”

Mrs. Spencer received by the same post the following letter from a nursing sister at the 37th Casualty Clearing Station, dated August 18th:–

“Just a line to let you know that your husband has been badly wounded and is now a patient in this hospital. His condition was, I am sorry to say, very serious, but these last two days he has shown signs of improvement, and is to-day feeling much better. His ankle was so badly smashed that the doctor had to amputate the leg, and his general condition since has been much better. In the meantime please rest assured he is having the very best attention and care… If he still continues to improve, as we all hope and pray that he will, he is sure to be transferred to one of the base hospitals in a few days…”

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