Biography of Private Harold Hanford (49402)
2nd Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment
Died 21st March 1918

Soldier

  • Name: Harold Hanford
  • Date of birth: 1899
  • Place of Birth: Morton, Lincolnshire,
  • England
  • Date of Birth Registration: January –
  • March 1899
  • Place of Birth Registration: Bourne, Lincolnshire England

Father

  • Name: James Hanford
  • DOB: 31st January 1866
  • Place of Birth: Morton, Lincolnshire, England
  • Occupation: Farm Labourer

Mother

  • Name: Elizabeth Ann Pickett
  • DOB: 15th June 1868
  • Place Of Birth: Spilsby, Lincolnshire, England
  • Marriage: 22nd April 1889 Morton Lincolnshire, England

Siblings: (Name), (DOB), (POB)

  • Charlotte Elizabeth Pickett, 1884, Billingborough
  • Aggenoria Hanford, 1890, Dowsby
  • Frances Elizabeth Hanford, 1891, Dowsby
  • James Fisher Hanford, 1892, Dowsby
  • Alfred Sydney Hanford, 1894, Morton
  • John William Foster Hanford, 1895, Morton
  • May Hanford, 1897, Morton
  • Harold Hanford, 1899, Morton
  • Jessie Hanford, 1901, Morton
  • Eric Hanford, 1903, Morton
  • Violet Ann Hanford, 1904, Morton
  • Georgina Hanford, 1906, Morton
  • Dora Hanford, 1908, Morton
  • Frank Hanford, 1911, Morton
  • Charles Ernie Hanford, 1912, Morton

Census

  • 1901: Harold is living with his parents in Morton nr Bourne, Lincolnshire
  • 1911: Harold is living as a boarder in the Sandall household in Morton nr Bourne, Lincolnshire. The census gives him an age of 12 and he is listed as being as school.

Relatives in services

  • Three of Harold brothers also serviced in the war. James in the Lincolns, Alfred, in the Leicesters and John.
Marriage

  • No marriage for Harold has been found and because of his age we can assume that he never had the opportunity to marry.

Newspaper Mentions

  • Grantham Journal Saturday 21h July 1917
    A SOLDIER FAMILY. Mr and Mrs James Handford can indeed be proud of the fact that they have four sons in his Majesty’s Forces. The eldest, Lance Corpl. J.F. Handford , Lincolns, was the first to join Kitchener’s Army from Morton. He has been twice wounded. The second son, Pte A.S. Handford, joined the Leicesters and has been on active service since November, 1915. Driver J.F. Handford, their son, now in France, tried three times, and was medically rejected each time, but was finally accepted. Pte. Harold Handford joined up last March.

 

  • Grantham Journal Saturday 5th July 1919
    REPORTED KILLED. The parents of Pte. Harold Handford have had an official communication that their son, missing since 22nd March 1918, is now presumed killed. The worst had been feared for some time, as every trace had been lost. Pte. Handford was the youngest of four brothers serving. and was a general favourite. The parents and family can be assured of the deepest sympathy from all sides.

Military Records

Attestation Papers

  • None found
Soldier’s Died In The Great War

  • These records show that Private Harold Hanford, 49402, 2nd Bn Lincolnshire Regiment was killed in action on 21st March1918 in the Western European Theatre in France and Flanders.

Pension Records

  • Available

Effects Left To

  • Father James

Medals

  • The British Medal
  • The Victory Medal

Memorials

  • UK:
  • Morton, Roll of honour in St John the Baptist

 

  • Commonwealth War Graves Commission:
  • In memory of Private Harold Hanford, 49402, 2nd Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment who died on 21 March 1918.
  • Son of James and Elizabeth Hanford, of Morton, Bourne, Lincs.
  • Remembered with honour, Le Cateau Military Cemetery
  • Grave I.B.7.

© Photo courtesy of Robert Thornton

© Picture taken by South Lincolnshire War Memorials

© Picture taken by South Lincolnshire War Memorials

Military Service Timeline

    Today we remember Morton man, Harold Hanford who died on this day 21 March 1918 whilst serving with 2nd Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment.
     
    Born in Morton in 1899 between the months of January and March, Harold, known to his family as Tom, was the son of James Hanford, a Journeyman Butcher from Morton, and Elizabeth Ann (nee Pickett) from Spilsby. James and Elizabeth were married in 1889, and although this marriage was registered in the Bourne District it is likely that this could have taken place in Billingborough.
     
    They went on to have fifteen children:

    Charlotte Elizabeth, (1884)
    Aggenoria, (1890)
    Frances Elizabeth, (1891)
    James Fisher, (1892)
    Alfred Sydney, (1894)
    John William Foster, (1895)
    May, (1897)
    Harold, (1899)
    Jessie, (1901)
    Eric, (1903)
    Violet Ann, (1904
    Georgina, (1906)
    Dora, (1908)
    Frank, (1911)
    Charles Ernie, (1912)

     
    On the 1911 census, Harold Hanford was a boarder in the Sandall household in Morton, alongside his brothers James and Eric. Harold was still at school at the time of this record, but it shows that his older brother James was a horseman on a farm with the head of the house Herbert Sandall.
     
    Harold is next mentioned in a clipping from the Grantham Journal from 21st July 1917, where the family is mentioned within the Morton correspondence as his parents had four sons all serving with the Army during the First World War:
    ‘’Mr and Mrs James Handford can, indeed be proud of the fact that they have four sons in his Majesty’s Forces. The eldest Lance-Corpl J. F. Handford, Lincolns, was the first to join Kitchener’s Army from Morton. He has been twice wounded. The second son, Pte A. S. Handford, joined the Leicesters, and has been on active service since November 1915. Drive J. F. Handford, their third son, now in France, tried three times, and was medically rejected each time, but was finally accepted. Pte. Harold Handford joined up last.’’
     
    In hindsight, the 21 March 1918 is a key date in the First World War: the beginning of the German Spring Offensive also known as Operation Michael. This was the final push for the Germans to break through the Allied lines in Northern France with the aim of reaching the Channel Ports to reach Britain.
     
    From the diaries of the 2nd Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment we can understand the actions that took place on the day Harold died:
    ‘’Batt received order MAN BATTLE POSITIONS ‘C’ Coy comes under the orders of O.C left sector front line (OC 1st BN Lincolnshire Regiment). A B & D Companies marched independently to their allotted positions in YELLOW LINE. Battalion Head Quarters marched to railway cutting W23.a.8.1. This operation was rendered excessively difficult owing to a thick fog and heavy ENEMY gas shelling. Companies established themselves in their positions soon after 7am though stragglers continued to report until 10am.
     
    Distribution C Coy with 1st Bn Lincolnshire Regiment. 3 Companies in YELLOW LINE with left Coy resting on railways at W23 central with the right Coy at approximately W18 central. Battalion Head Quarters at railway cutting at W23.a.8.1, these positions were maintained all day against repeated attacks by the ENEMY.
     
    About 12 noon a part of the enemy succeeded in getting round the left flank under cover of a sunken road at W18.c.9.3. This party was engaged by Bn Head Quarters and a gun team of the Machine Gun Battalion, a number were killed and the remainder (about 50) surrendered.’’
     
    Reports dated the 19.4.18 suggest that the List of Casualties from 21.3.18 to 2.4.18 is as follows:
    Killed: 32
    Wounded: 106
    Wounded & Missing: 10
    Missing: 238
    Total: 386
    Although the report states that this is until the 2.4.18, the dates listed show that these statistics are in fact just until 26.3.18, a six day period.
     
    From future newspaper articles, we can say that Harold was one of the 238 recorded missing. It was not until 1919 when the family received closure.
     
    The Grantham Journal, dated 5th July 1919 claimed:
    ‘’REPORTED KILLED- The parents of Pte. Harold Handford have had an official communication that their son, missing since 22nd March, 1918, is now presumed killed. The worst had been feared for some time, as every trace had been lost. Pte, Handford was the youngest of four brothers serving, and was a general favourite. The parents and family can be assured of the deepest sympathy from all sides.’’
    Although presumed missing for this time, Harold is commemorated under an identified headstone at Le Cateau Military Cemetery, France. Whether his body was found at a later date, but was not communicated to the family for a while, or whether he was buried with a temporary headstone and discovered once the war was over is unclear.
     
    Harold is recorded on official Comprehensive Reports shown on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website to have died on 22nd March 1918. This is seen to clash with the then Imperial War Graves Commission document used to ensure correct headstone inscriptions, claiming Harold to have been killed on the 21st March 1918.
    We are aware though that this is the same Harold Hanford as his father’s address is included. The headstone itself states Harold’s death as the 21st March 1918.
    Harold is buried in Le Cateau Miliary Cemetery, alongside 700 other Commonwealth casualties 513 of which are identified.
     
    The area of Le Cateau- Cambrésis was fought over since the beginning of the war in August 1914. The town was to remain under German control until October 1918. The military cemetery was begun by the Germans in February 1916, with Commonwealth and German soldiers being buried in separate plots. There are over 5,000 German soldiers buried at Le Cateau, many of which were buried during its occupation and some being brought in from other German cemeteries after the Armistice. Le Cateau is also the final resting place for 34 Russian prisoners of war who died in captivity. Those Commonwealth soldiers buried in Plots I, III, IV and V are of those buried by the Germans, mainly during the fighting in 1914. Plot II holds graves of October and November 1918, eight of which were brought in after the Armistice.
    Harold is buried in grave I. B. 7.

    Sources

    • WW1 Soldier’s Records (www.ancestry.co.uk)
    • British Newspaper Archive.
    • Fold 3
    • Find My Past
    • Genealogist
    • Forces War Records
    • British Army Service Numbers
    • War Gratuity Calculator
    • Commonwealth War Graves Commission
    • National Archives – Battalion War Diaries
    • General Registry Office