Harry Roland Thelwell
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
Harry was the son of George a draper and Ann Stapleton Thelwell of Commercial Street Leeds. He had an elder sister Alice Christian born in 1888. Harry was baptised at St George's Church Leeds on 24th September 1893. The family address at this time was 12 Clarendon Place Leeds and his father was a draper. In 1901 they lived at Prospect House Long Preston Skipton. By the 1911 Census Harry had left home and moved to 97 Wimpole Street St Marylebone London along with three other draper's assistants. Harry's effects of £376 19 shillings were left to Alice Christian Riley (wife of Cecil Edgar Evelyn Riley) his sister (Probate 16/5/1919 London).
At the outbreak of war, Harry joined the Queen Victoria Rifles as a private having previously served with the unit for four years. He went to France on 4th November 1914. He took part in the attack on Hill 60 and He was gazetted into the Duke of Wellington ( West Riding) Regiment as second lieutenant on 8th November 1915 and was sent to France where he received his second star. He was attached to the 2nd Battalion Duke of Wellington's West Riding Regiment when he died of wounds and is buried in Etaples Military Cemetery France Grave Reference I A 34.
The following is an extract from 'The Cuthbertian' December 1916 No 4: H. R. Thelwell. Lieut. in the Duke of Wellington's Regt., died of wounds on July 8th He went to the Front in November,1914 with the 9th County of London Regt. He was invalided home from Hill 60 with a slight wound, and obtained his commission in November, 1915. He had been at the Front for two months (for the second time) when he met his death.
