Name
Harry Clift
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
22/10/1917
21
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Lance Corporal
36278
Princess Charlotte of Wales’ (Royal Berkshire) Regiment
6th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
MONT HUON MILITARY CEMETERY, LE TREPORT
V. B. 2B.
France
UK & Other Memorials
Village Memorial, Watton-at-Stone
St Andrew and St Mary Church Roll of Honour, Watton-at-Stone
Pre War
Harry was born in 1896 the son of Amos and Clara Clift, of Mill End, Watton-at-Stone, Hertfordshire. For much of his life he had lived in the Saffron Walden area of Essex, where he worked as Farm Labourer and his father worked as a Shepherd.
Wartime Service
Harry initially enlisted in the Hertfordshire Regiment with the Service Number 5751 but was later transferred to the 6th Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment, where his Service Number changed to 36278. On the 12th October 1917 the Battalion were in forward positions in front of the St. Julien to Poelcappelle road, after a long and difficult night in which they struggled to reach their jumping off point. At 05.25am an artillery barrage commenced, and the troops moved off towards their objectives, which were Papa Farm, Hinton Farm and Moray House. The Germans immediately responded with intense artillery fire as well as machine-gun and rifle fire from positions named Meunier House, Brewery House and Beek House. The shell-torn ground had been sodden by recent rainfall and the going was both slow and difficult. As a result, casualties quickly mounted and Harry was amongst one of those who were seriously wounded. He died as a result of his injuries ten days later.
Acknowledgments
Paul Johnson, Malcolm Lennox
