JAMES HARRIS 1888–1918

Photograph from family collection

Born 1888 in Bingham, Notts.

Baptised 22nd November 1888 at St Mary and All Saints Church, Bingham

Married 1912 to Clara Bell in Bingham District.

Daughters Hannah born 20 July  1912, died March 1916, and Kathleen born 4 July 1914 and 2 step daughters, Fanny born 1898 and Violet, born 1907 and died November 1912.

Died 10th April 1918, Flanders, 4th Battle of Ypres

Commemorated on Ploegsteert Memorial Panel 2 and Radcliffe on Trent War Memorial

 1891 Census

Living at Bingham, age 2, with father Frank, 35, general labourer, mother Hannah, 33, sisters Miriam, 15, Annie, 13, Phoebe, 9, Frances, 7 and Kate, 5.

1901 Census

Age 12 living with grandparents at Moor Lane, Bingham. Father Frank, 45, farm drainer and labourer, mother Hannah, 43, sisters Frances, 16, Kate, 14, Zillah, 8, Harriet, 6, Hannah, 1 and brother Frank, 4 were living at Long Acre, Bingham.

1911 Census

Age 22 farm labourer living at Nottingham Road, Bingham with father Francis, mother Hannah and brother Frank, 14. His sister Harriet, 17, was a housekeeper and sister Hannah, 10, was at school. Married 1912 and then lived at Mount Pleasant, Radcliffe on Trent.

Military Service

Rank: Private

Service Number: 267276. Previous numbers 20815, 42168 and 6/7815

Military Unit: 1st/6th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers, 149th Brigade, 50th Division. Formerly of The Sherwood Foresters

Theatre of War: France and Flanders, date of entry 11.10.1915. Total war service abroad 2 years 6 months.

Enlisted: Nottingham

Transferred: 1/6th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers, (Territorial), Rank: Lance Corporal

Medals Awarded: 1914-1915 Star, British War and Victory

Go to WWI Timeline to see how this man’s death is part of the wider story of the war.

War Diaries for the 1/6th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers, April 1918 do not appear to have been completed.  Heavy casualties during this month suggest that no officer was available to write them.

The War Diaries are available for March 1918 as well as the company orders and detailed plans for attack. The 6th had been involved in at least 10 days of continuous fighting during the German Spring Offensive.

View the above extract in the original War Diary

Other Information

James’s wife Clara was living on Mount Pleasant with her mother and daughters when he was killed. Medal Rolls Index Cards state ‘presumed dead’. Clara was the aunt of Rosa Bell, widow of Frederick Brown.

In the Register of Soldiers Effects, his date of death is given as ’10th April 1918 or since’. His widow Clara applied for a pension and was awarded a weekly pension of 20 shillings (£1) from 17.1.19 for herself and daughter Kathleen Ada. Her address at this time was Chapel Yard, Radcliffe.

His brother Frank Harris served with the 1st Bn Sherwood Foresters (regimental number 4659). He disembarked on 27th December 1914 and was killed on 6th February 1915 when a First Aid post was shelled. He was seventeen years old, the youngest soldier from Bingham to be killed, his body was not recovered. He is commemorated on Bingham War Memorial.

Reasons for inclusion on Radcliffe on Trent Roll of Honour

James Harris lived in Radcliffe on Trent with his wife and children.

Ploegsteert Memorial