Harry Balding
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
Harry was born in 1893 at Mexborough the son of Robert a carter and Annie Balding in the 1901 census the family are living at Braithwell, Bramley West Yorkshire. He was in Canada employed on a ranch when war broke out and afterwards amongst his comrades was familiarly known as 'Broncho'. He came home paying his own expenses that he may help his country and for a time lived at Austerfield where his wife and mother lived. Upon his death he left his wife and one child who lived at Meldon Cottages, School Walk,Bawtry
He enlisted on 6th December 1915 at Doncaster and was posted to the 3/5th battalion of the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. After initial training he joined his battalion in France. In May 1917 at Bullcourt he was riding with a message from his commanding officer when he was knocked off his horse by a gas shell and overcome by poison gas. After being treated in Woolwich hospital for some time he was put before a medical board on 9th May 1917 and declared unfit due to TB of the lung and totally unfit. On 30th May 1917 he was discharged from the Army and awarded a silver war badge (which indicated he had served and been discharged from the army) and returned to live at Austerfield. He however never recovered from the effects of his gassing and went back into hospital again at the Cardigan Sanatorium, Wakefield where he died on 11th January 1918. He was buried in Austerfield Church, his body was brought from Wakefield by railway and he was buried with full military honours aged 25 years.
His brother Robert who was a jockey before the war also served in the Queens Royal West Surry Regiment and served for 3 years in Mesopotamia
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