Harold Geary
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
Harold Geary was born in the mining village of Newstead, Notts in 1898. His father was Jeremiah Geary and as would be be expected, worked in the coal mine. Jeremiah had married Clara Rigley in 1893 and lived at 106 Newstead Colliery where they bought up Harold and their other five children. Harold's siblings were, Evelyn, Walter, Ivy, Lancelot and Ada. Their mother, Clara died in 1914 just about the time war was declared, age 41
Harold enlisted in the Sherwood Foresters on 9th January 1915 in the 9th Battalion. He went with his Regiment, to the Balkans which sailed in July 1915. In December 1915, they were evacuated and eventually arrived in the Somme in France in July 1916. Harold's movements at this time is unclear as his next known record places him being discharged from the Army due to sickness, not attributed, (to the Army?) He was issued with Silver Badge number 122,836, (awarded to men who were no longer physically fit for war service). His date of discharge was on the 6th August 1917. Whatever his sickness was, it took it's toll at the end of 1918, when he died, registered at Nottingham.
Apart from his Silver Badge, after the was, his family received three medals, the Victory and British War Medal and the 1915 Star.
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