Harry Gumsley
- Family History
- Military History
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Harry Gumsley was born in 1894 at Elston and was the son of Thomas Gumsley a bricklayer and his wife Harriet Gumsley née Bagguley of 23, Parliament Street Newark. His father Thomas Gumley was born 1860 in Newark and his mother Harriett Bagguley was born in 1860 at Thorpe, they were married in 1888 their marriage was recorded in the Southwell registration district, they went on to have 8 children, sadly two died in infancy or early childhood , their surviving children were, George b1889 Elston, Eliza Ann b1891 Elston, William b1892 Elston, Harry b1894 Elston, Thomas Frederick b1897 Newark and Gladys b1899 at Newark. In the 1911 census the family are living at 23 Parliament Street, Newark and are shown as Thomas 51 yrs a bricklayer, he is living with his wife Harriett 51 yrs and their children, George 22 yrs a labourer, Eliza Ann 20 yrs a domestic servant, William 19 yrs a moulder, Harry 17 yrs a grocers porter, Thomas Frederick 14 yrs an errand boy at a boot shop, and Gladys 12 yrs a scholar.
1st Bn Lincolnshire Regiment. Formerly Sherwood Foresters (Notts & Derby Regiment), 1384 Private Harry Gumsley served in France from 28 June 1915. He was killed in action on 18 December 1917 and is buried at Tincourt New British Cemetery (grave ref. III. G. 14). CWGC - History of Tincourt New British Cemetery (extract): 'Tincourt is a village about 7 kilometres east of Peronne. The villages of Tincourt and Boucly were occupied by British troops in March 1917, during the German Retreat to the Hindenburg Line From the following May until March 1918, Tincourt became a centre for Casualty Clearing Stations. On the 23rd March 1918, the villages were evacuated and they were recovered, in a ruined condition, about the 6th September. From that month to December 1918, Casualty Clearing Stations were again posted to Tincourt. The cemetery was begun in June 1917, and used until September 1919; the few German burials, during their occupation of the village, are in Plot VI, Row A. After the Armistice it was used for the reburial of soldiers found on the battlefield, or buried in small French or German cemeteries. The following were among the graveyards from which British graves were concentrated to Tincourt New British Cemetery [listed].' (www.cwgc.org)
His brother Private Thomas Frederick Gumsley enlisted at Newark and served with the 1/8th battalion Sherwood Foresters Regiment, he landed in France on 2nd March 1915 and was killed in action on 8th August 1915, having no known grave his name is commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. His brother William Gumsley also served during the 'Great War' he enlisted at Newark on 13th November 1914 , he gave his age as 22 yrs and 9 months, his address as 23 Parliament Street, Newark and his occupation as a labourer, He served with the 8th battalion Sherwood Foresters, and saw service in France for two periods he also served in the West Yorkshire Regiment and the Oxford & Buckingham Light Infantry, he survived the war and was discharged on 4th March 1919. CWGC headstone personal inscription: 'Peace perfect peace'
