Lance Corporal 46688 Harold Hingley

Killed in Action on Monday, 30th July 1917, age 20.
Commemorated on Panel 39 and 41 of Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium.

'D' Company of 17th Bn., Sherwood Foresters (Notts & Derby Regt.). 117th Brigade of 39th Division.

Son of Mr and Mrs John Perry, of 3 House, 1 Court, Park Lane East, Tipton, Staffs.
Born: Tipton, Enlisted: Tipton, Resident: Unknown.

First landed France & Flanders, post 31st December 1915.
Medal entitlement: British War Medal, Victory Medal.
Soldier's Papers at National Archives did not survive.

Commemorated on the Tipton Library Memorial.
Commemorated here because he appears on a Tipton memorial.

Link to Commonwealth War Graves Site: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1614258/

Genealogical Data

Birth of Harold Hingley registered March quarter 1897 in Dudley.

1901 Census
Tudor Street, Tipton, Staffs.
William Hingley (32, Ironworks Labourer, born unknown), his wife Alice (29, born unknown), and their 3 children: Phoebe M. (8, born Tipton), Harold (4, born Tipton), and Clara W. (2, born Tipton).

1911 Census
11 Peel Place, Tipton, Staffs.
John Thomas Perry (28, Labourer, born Tipton), his wife Alice (38, born Tipton), his 4 step children: Phoebe Hingley (18, born Tipton), Harold Hingley (14, Coal Wharf Labourer, born Tipton), Clara Hingley (12, School, born Tipton), Gladys Hingley (8, School, born Tipton), and John and Alice's 2 children: Alice (5, School, born Tipton), and Gertrude (3, born Tipton).

Personal Data

Harold's next of kin are shown as Mr and Mrs John Perry; this is his step-father and mother as his father died in 1903 and his mother re-married in 1905.

After Harold's death, his army pay and allowances had been overpaid to the value of £0/7/7d (7 shillings and 7 pence). The records show that his next of kin were informed of this Debit balance, but not that they were requested to re-pay the balance. His War Gratuity was £4/10/0d (4 pounds and 10 shillings), this was paid to his mother and sole legatee, Mrs Alice Perry, in January 1920. The value of the War Gratuity suggests that Harold had enlisted in approximately May 1916.

Harold's mother, Alice. was awarded a Dependant's Pension of 7/6d (7 shillings and 6 pence) per week, effective from 19th February 1918 and was to be paid "for life". This was to be paid for 37 years as Alice lived until the age of 82 and died in 1955.

Action resulting in his death

The 17th Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Notts & Derby) Regiment (17/SF) was one of the 12 Battalions comprising 39th Division. They were in action on the first day of the 3rd Battle of Ypres, 31st July 1917, taking part in the Battle of Pilkem Ridge, about 3 miles to the north of Ypres. This was their first significant action in 1917 after having taken part in the 1916 Battle of the Somme.

The 3rd Battle of Ypres was intended to capture the series of ridges from the north-east to the south of Ypres, culminating at Passchendaele some 7 miles north-east of Ypres. This would leave the Allies within 5 miles of Roulers which was a vitally important railway hub for the Germans. The battle began on 31st July 1917 and it was more than 3 bloody and muddy months later when the Canadians captured the ruins of Passchendaele village.

To the north of Ypres, the Battle of Pilkem Ridge was intended to force an eastward advance of up to 2 miles, capturing Kitchener Wood, and crossing the Steenbeek. In the 17/SF area the advance was to be led by the 16th Sherwood Foresters and 17th King’s Royal Rifle Corps, and the 17th Sherwood Foresters and the 16th Rifle Brigade were to pass through and continue the attack around St Julien. The attacking units captured 3 German pill boxes at Regina Cross and another centre of resistance named Alberta. The Steenbeek was crossed and 17/SF dug in and consolidated, and later in the morning successfully fought off a German counter attack.

'Soldiers Died in the Great War' shows that 17/SF had 27 men killed on the 30th July, and 11 on the 31st July. The War Diary records that the battalion began to move up from the Canal Bank sector to Hill Top sector at 10.30pm on 30th July, and assembly being completed at 01.15am on 31st July. It also records that there were no casualties “whilst the battalion was assembling”. This makes the number of casualties recorded for the 30th July a little confusing, and may be an error in recording.

Harry Hingley is recorded as having been killed in action on 30th July 1917. Like most of his comrades killed on the 2 days, he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate, Ypres.

Newspaper Cuttings

Tipton Herald September 15th 1917
The death of Lance Corporal H. Hingley (Sherwood Foresters) is officially reported.