No.12763, Lance Corporal, Harry VALIANT
Aged 21
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Harry Valiant was born in Bury St.Edmunds,(Bury St Edmunds Q4-1894 4A:780) baptised at St John's, Bury St Edmunds on 8th November 1894, son of Arthur
and Mary Ann VALIANT (née JOLLY).
1901 census...Aged 6, he was at the Street, Moulton Lane, Gazeley, with his father Arthur VALIANT [50] bricklayer born Brockdish, Norfolk; his mother Mary Ann [50] born Halesworth, Suffolk; sisters Alice [23] born Kennett, Ada [14] born Worlington and Nellie [12] born Bury St.Edmunds; brothers Frederick [20] a bricklayer born Mildenhall, John [9] and Arthur [7] born Bury St.Edmunds and a boarder Fred MAYES [22], single, bricklayer born Gazeley. 1911 census...Aged 16, a bricklayer, he was at Holly House, Gazeley, with his parents and brother Arthur. Miss Lucy CLAYDON and Harry's mother are named as guardians of an illegitimate child on the pension card. Lucy was at Rose Cottagw, Littel Walden, then Walden Road, Hadstock and married George W Rowlandson at the end of 1920 and both were still at Walden Road, Hadstock in the 1939 Register |
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He enlisted in Newmarket. His legatees are given as his mother and Miss Lucy CLAYDON There is a serious discrepancy over his date of death between CWGC and his medal index card. CWGC have 2nd March 1916 (and his Soldier's Personal Effects record), his medal index card has 26/2/15. The pension card says 2nd March 1916 On both dates the battalion were in the Ypres salient.Taking the CWGC as correct, the 2nd Battalion, Suffolks was in it's assembly area on the night of 1st March near Bedford House on the St.Eloi-Ypres road. They were to try and retake our trenches recently lost to the Germans The attack started at 0445 'B', 'C' and 'D' companies on the south side of the Bluff. Immediately star shells were sent up by the Germans turning night into day. Our artillery then opened up on their 2nd line, our troops already being through the first line, having taken the enemy by surprise. 'A' company on the left was not so lucky, being caught by a counter barrage before they could leave King Street. By 0700 the lost trenches had been re captured. The ground was in a terrible state, churned up by the barrages and the battalion left the line sparsely occupied while they returned to the assembly trenches. An enemy barrage continued all day, but our artillery countered effectively. A successful operation result in the recapture of all the ground previously lost, but at the cost of 250 casualties out of the 500 employed. It was, incidentally, the first operation when they wore the newly issued steel helmets (the tin hats) CWGC records 53 killed, and only 6 having an identified grave.
photo: Commonwealth War Graves Commission click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details |
