96976, Private, Harry James CHALLICE
Aged 19
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Born James Harry CHALLICE in Newmarket in Q1-1899 [Newmarket 3b:507], to Job and Mary CHALLICE (née LEONARD) of Icewell Hill, Newmarket.
1901 census...James Harry [2] was at Icewell Hill, Newmarket with his father Job [27], coachman/groom, born Newmarket; his mother Mary [25] born Isleham; his brothers Joseph [6] and George[3] and sister Florence [11 months] all Newmarket born, plus his widowed grandmother Eliza CHALLICE, [70] Exning born. 1911 census...Harry James [12] was still at Icewell Hill with the family plus new brother Jack [9]. His grandmother had died in 1905. Prior to his enlistment in Newmarket he worked for Dyers, Grocers in Wellington Street His entry in "Our Exning Heroes" reads "Born in Newmarket. Educated at S.Mary's School. He was at Mr Dyer's the baker's, when war broke out. He joined up directly he was 18 years of age, and after 12 months training in England, he went to France in April, after the German offensive began in 1918, and was in the line during the British retirement. He was killed in August, near Monchy-le-Preuse. He was in the Tank Corps as a Machine Gunner. His tank was hit three times, the last penetrating the armour, and the splinters killing the officer in charge and Private Challice". |
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The day he was killed was the 1st day of the Battle of the Scarpe, just east of Arras, in the 2nd battle of Arras. The Tank Corps had 8 killed that day, only one has no known grave. |
photo: Michael J. Pettitt
click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details