His sister Martha Ellen did not marry and – according to the Electoral Registers – remained at the cottage until at least 1939, but had departed by 1945. Residents remembered that she had been utterly devastated by the deaths in this war of both her only brother and her fiancé. She died aged “71” in 1966 [GRO Ref: Surrey Mid.E. 5g 37, 1966 (Q2)].
Military Records
1. Service Record
National Archives: WO363 (War Office): Soldiers’ Documents, First World War ‘Burnt Documents’
Harry’s service record has survived as a motley collection of about 22 pages of varying legibility and intelligibility. He was medically examined at Stoughton Barracks on August 8th 1916. His Medical History form describes him as aged 20 years and 109 days, occupation labourer, 5’3″ in height and 115lbs in weight. His physical development was “fair” though he complained of a knee injury affecting his walking – the form records that there was “no physical sign” of this. He was accepted for the East Surreys with Service No. 24991 at Guildford on October 3rd 1916. He then gave his address as Yew Tree Cottage, his age as 20, his status as single and his occupation as engineer. He had expressed a preference (denied) to join the Royal Engineers. He cited his mother, also of Yew Tree Cottage, as next-of-kin. Here is his original signature from the first page of his Enrolment Paper: