Lance Sergeant 200075

1st/5^th Bn. Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby) Regt.

Died Wednesday 3lst. January 1917.

Grave ref. 111. C. 4 Foncquevillers Military Cemetery Pas de Calais France.

 

Harry, son of Frank and Alice Howard,  was born on 7th May 1890. His parents, originally from Leicestershire had moved to Codnor  Park, Ironville, where his father took up employment at the Butterley Company Forge. The 1881 Census records the family as living at Queen Street, Ironville as follows :- Frank (aged 37 years), Alice (aged 37 years), Thomas (13), Walter (11) and Ernest (5). 

Harry enlisted at Ripley, Derbyshire and was already serving as a Private in the Army when war broke out in 1914. His company, The Ripley E Territorials, was posted to France on 26^th  February 1915 and Harry gained his stripes whilst serving in the field of action. He was a well known local footballer and cricketer, playing for the ‘Ironville Bible Class’ Football Club and Codnor Park Cricket Club.  Whilst serving in France, he had also played football and cricket for the Battalion elevens.  

Harry was killed in action on Wednesday 31st January 1917, aged 26 years. 

Private 2002, Joseph Raybould was serving in the same battalion, lived on the same Street and was killed on the same day as Harry. They are buried almost side by side at Foncquevillers Military Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France in Plot III C. 1. (Raybould) and Plot III C. 4. (Howard). L/Sgt Howard & Pte Raybould are both listed on the Jacksdale and Ironville War Memorials. 

Harry’s nephew, Frank Howard, has confirmed to us that Harry had three brothers, named Thomas, Walter and Ernest.  Harry’s father, also named Frank, was an engine driver and drove a locally well known engine, nicknamed the ‘coffee pot’ due to its stub shaped chimney that allowed it to pass under low bridges.  This led to the family being known as ‘The Coffees.’ 

During the Summer of 2001, Judith and Terry Kelsall, of Mackworth, Derby, were kind enough to take photographs of L/Sgt Harry Howard’s and Joseph Raybould’s graves, whilst attending the 85^th  Memorial Service to commemorate the special connection which exists between the village of Foncquevillers and the city of Derby. 

Foncquevillers Cemetery commemorates 650 WW1 casualties, many of which were Sherwood Foresters. The village of Foncquevillers was later adopted by the city of Derby. 

Sherwood Foresters World War One Casualties – 11,298

Source:  R. Capewell  ‘Discovering Military Badges.’