Name
Harry Cousins
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
23/08/1918
22
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
31852
Hertfordshire Regiment
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
VIS-EN-ARTOIS MEMORIAL
Panel 4-5
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Hitchin War Memorial,
4 Co' Hertfordshire Reg' Territorials’ Memorial, Hitchin,
St Mary's Church Roll of Honour, Hitchin,
Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford
Pre War
His parents, Mr and Mrs George Cousins, lived at 23, Bunyan Road, Hitchin and he was their third son. He was the husband of Betsy Cousins of 6 Duke's Lane, Hitchin.
Before joining up he had spent five years as an apprentice at Ralph E. Sanders & Son, car agents and body-builders of Hitchin.
He was born in and resident in Hitchin and joined up on the 10th October 1916 in Bedford.
Wartime Service
Originally, he was in the Bedfordshire Regiment but was moved to the Hertfordshires. He was allocated Regimental Number 31852 and went to France on New Year's Day of 1917. He fought in battles at Ypres, Arras, Messines, the Somme and Cambrai. He was gassed at Easter 1917 and survived but was killed in action during the advance of 1918 at Achiet le Grand near Bapaume. Postcards from his kitbag were found on the battlefield.
He has no known grave, but is remembered on the Vis-en-Artois Memorial to the Missing at Haucourt in France.
Acknowledgments
Adrian Dunne, David C Baines, Jonty Wild