Harold Nicholson Lewis was born at Oswestry in 1894; he was the son of William Henry Lewis and Amy Kate Lewis (nee Nicholson). They lived at Albion Villas, (10) Oswald Road, Oswestry.  He was their second child – Jane his sister had been born in 1891, and a second girl, Amy, was born in 1896. Their father was a decorator; he died when Harold was 4 years old. They remained living on Oswald Road, with their Auntie Lizzie joining them in the household. His mother and aunt were school teachers. His aunt would go on to be head of infants at Oswestry Council School. His mother, by 1911, had moved to Helsby where she was headmistress at Runcorn County School. She would go on to teach at schools in Wrockwardine and at Cosgrove. In 1911 Harold was working for his uncle as a clerk – his uncle ran a transport company in the limestone quarries at Llynclys. Harold lived as a boarder at Hill View, Llynclys.

Harold enlisted as a Private 3347 in the 1/10 Bn King’s Liverpool (Liverpool Scottish) in August 1914. He went over to France on 23 January 1915, as a draft. He was wounded in June 1915. When he rejoined the battalion in the following December he was promoted to corporal. He was wounded again in August 1916 at Guillemot during the Somme Offensive and was awarded the Military Medal.  It was also at Guillemot that Noel Chavasse, medical officer for the 1/10 Bn Liverpool King’s, won his first of 2 VCs; his second was posthumous, awarded 31 July – 2 August 1917, a few weeks before Harold was KIA and also at Ypres. (See also Sapper 159134 Alfred (Waller) Miller). By this time Harold had left the 1/10 Bn King’s Liverpool.

Harold was commissioned as a Temporary Lieutenant in March 1917, posted to 1/2 Bn Lancashire Fusiliers and then attached to the 17 Bn Lancashire Fusiliers. As a Temporary Lieutenant he had been selected and promoted from the ranks to make up the shortage due to casualties of the more traditional public school, professional, upper class officers.

Harold was KIA on 18 October 1917 during the Third Ypres Offensive. The battalion were in the front line at Houthulst Forest near Boesinghe in Belgium. During the evening of 18 October 1917 the battalion was to be relieved. The relief had been completed by 10:00pm, however, it was a dark, moonless night making it very difficult  to traverse the wrecked landscape. It would seem the enemy realised a relief was taking place and laid down a barrage of explosive and gas shells. In the confusion men got lost and isolated, many did not get back until the next day. Harold was probably killed by a shell, his body was lost and he is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial and has no known grave. He is also remembered on the Roll of Honour at Runcorn County School, now Helsby High School. His Military Medal was sold at auction in 2002 for £430.

Acknowledgements.

References and Sources

END