Birch, H F
HAROLD FREDERICK BIRCH
Remembered with honour Basra War Cemetery, Iraq: Plot II, Row E, Grave 3.
He enlisted in Watford 5 December 1916: a railway clerk aged 22 of Watford; his next-of-kin was his father. Appointed Lance-Corporal 1 June 1918, Corporal 16 January 1919, and Sergeant 25 April 1919. He was part of the Indian Expeditionary Force, and died at No. 3 British General Hospital, Basra, of influenza. He was entitled to the Victory and British War medals. Unfortunately, Harold appears to have no entry in the Soldiers Died in the Great War 1914-1919 dataset.
There is a Death announcement for Harold in the West Herts and Watford Observer dated 30 August 1919.
Son of William and Elizabeth Louisa (nee MORGAN) BIRCH of Watford.
His parents married 1892 in the Watford district. William died either 1930 in the Watford district aged 73 or 1939 in the Watford district aged 83; Elizabeth died 1951 in Watford aged 87, and was buried 6 November in Vicarage Road Cemetery, Watford.
Harold was born 16 June 1894 in Watford. He attended first Victoria Infants’ School, Watford; then Beechen Grove Board School, Watford, from 7 January 1901 to 26 March 1902, when he went to Watford Fields School; finally to Watford Grammar School as a Fuller Scholar from 3 August 1906.
On the 1901 Census, aged 6 he lived in Watford, with his parents and three siblings. On the 1911 Census, a railway clerk aged 16, he still lived in Watford, with his parents and three siblings.
Service number
M/417909 or 417969Rank
SerjeantUnit
Base Mechanical Transport DepotRegiment
Place buried
Date of death
11/08/1919Age at death
25Place of death
Memorial(s)
Notes
Recorded as Lance-Corporal on the UK Army Registers of Soldiers' Effects dataset- 1st S.W. Herts Scout Troop [in St Mary's Parish Church Watford] (4)
- Abbot's Langley Herts War Memorial (17)
- Aldbury Herts War Memorial (1)
- Aldenham Herts War Memorial (located in Letchmore Heath Herts) (8)
- All Saints Church Croxley Green Herts (12)
- All Saints Church Harrow Weald Middx (2)
- All Saints Church Hertford (1)
- All Saints Church King's Langley Herts (1)
- All Saints Church Leavesden Herts (31)
- All Saints Church Witham Essex (3)