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Old 21-07-14, 06:39
Jill Jill is offline
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Default (16) Harry Walter White, TF/1159 4th Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment

16th of the Old Boys of St Wilfrid’s School, Haywards Heath to lose his life in WW1.

Harry was born 1 Nov 1894 son of Harry White, carpenter, and his wife Mary and was baptised at St Wilfrid’s church on 9th December 1894. By 1901 they were living in Franklynn Road and his father was a builder’s manager. He was educated at St Wilfrid’s School and was in the church choir and also had some private education at Belvedere school. By 1911 young Harry was 16 and working as a carpenter’s apprentice. As he had already served in the Territorial Army for 5 years he was called up on the day war broke out.

Harry died at Suvla Bay, Gallipoli, Turkey on 11 Aug 1915, aged 20, three days after arriving in the Balkans. The family found out via a letter written by a Sergeant:

MID SUSSEX TIMES 31 AUGUST 1915
CORPORAL HW WHITE HAYWARDS HEATH
Mr & Mrs Harry White, of Franklynn Road, Haywards Heath have received a sad message of the death of their son Corporal Harry Walter White attached to the D company 4th Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment. The message came through a Sergeant’s letter to his parents. Although no official confirmation has yet been received, it is feared that the sad news is only too true. Mr H White is a well known builder at Haywards Heath. Corporal White was 21 years of age and had been in the Territorial Force about 5 years.
He is commemorated on the Helles Memorial.


Harry’s father received his effects of £4 7s 5d on 2nd December 1915 and a War Gratuity of £4 10s on 31st July 1919.

Harry and his 74 fellow Old Boys will be remembered at a ceremony at Haywards Heath War Memorial today, along with the other fallen from the town, 25 of our current schoolchildren will be placing 75 poppy crosses and crosses will also be placed for the other servicemen of the town who were lost.

Edit: the ceremony was very moving, there were prayers, the names were read out and the crosses positioned, two other primary school read poems, there were standard bearers (one of our teenage Old Boys bore the standard to the Army Cadets), the Last Post was played by Heidi the Royal British Legion's trumpeter (whom some of our children met at Newhaven Fort on a trip earlier in the year), she also played the National Anthem and the Canadian National Anthem, the mayor, former service people and members of the public attended as well as Brigadier General Matthew Overton of the Canadian Army who took the time to come and talk to our children afterwards, as did Mr Collins of the British Legion who had organised so much of it.

Last edited by Jill; 19-01-15 at 18:18. Reason: confirmed brigadier's name/effects
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