Harry Beldon

HARRY BELDON

Private 23374, 6th Battalion Loyal North Lancashire Regiment

Died 9th March 1917 aged 23

No Known Grave Commemorated Basra Memorial, Iraq

Son of Alfred and Mary Beldon

Lived Robin Lane, Kilpin Hill, Heckmondwike

Harry was the youngest of the four children of Alfred who worked in the Woollen Mills and Mary, his wife. He was born on born 23rd April 1893 in Ravensthorpe and was baptised at St Saviour’s Church. He had three sisters two of whom had died in infancy, his sister Ethel died in 1904 at the age of 17 leaving Harry as his parent’s only surviving child. He was educated at Staincliffe Church School and attended the Primitive Methodist Sunday School in Heckmondwike. He was a Plumber by trade and had worked for Edwin Walker & Co before the outbreak of war.

He enlisted in the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry in January 1915 but was transferred to The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment soon after. He sailed from Avonmouth to Gallipoli on 17th June 1915, landing at Anzac Cove on the 4th August where the Regiment engaged in various actions including, the Battle of Sari Bair, the Battle of Russell's Top and the Battle of Hill 60. In December they were evacuated to Mudros due to heavy casualties from combat, disease and severe weather.

After a period of service defending the Suez Canal the Regiment went to Mesopotamia where Harry died of wounds in 1917.

He is remembered on the Basra Memorial which commemorates more than 40,500 members of the Commonwealth Forces who died in the operations in Mesopotamia from the Autumn of 1914 to the end of August 1921 and whose graves are not known.{PL-013}

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