Name
James Harding
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
20/10/1916
24
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Sapper
Deal/302(S)
Royal Marines 2nd Field Coy Div. Engineers
R.M. Div. Engineers, Royal Naval Division
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ENGLEBELMER COMMUNAL CEMETERY
A. 20.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the Croxley Green memorials, We are not aware of any Chandlers Cross memorial
Pre War
James was the son of James and Alice Harding who were living at Chandlers Cross, Croxley Green when he enlisted.
James junior was born on 12 November 1891 in Great Missenden, Bucks., where he was still living in 1901. In 1911 the family was living at Woodwalks, Chandlers Cross where his father worked as a shepherd and James junior worked as a carter on a farm. In 1911, James had nine siblings.
Wartime Service
Sapper James Harding enlisted on 29 November 1914 and joined his unit in the Marine Expeditionary Force on 6 March 1915. On enlisting he gave his next of kin as H. Brierton of 52 D Samuel Buildings, Liverpool Rd., Highbury, London.
He died from shellfire on 20 October 1916 during the battle of the Somme and is buried in the village of Engelbelmer, north west of Albert in the Department of the Somme. The unit war diary states that on that day they were at work on trench repairs and one observation post, reclaiming old trenches.
Acknowledgments
Stuart Osborne
Brian Thomson
