217828 Herbert Harvey British Army 11th Battalion Suffolk Regiment from:Guyhirn, Wisbech, Cambs (d.2nd July 1916) Herbert is my great-uncle. I discovered him when I was doing my father's family tree. Although my father is named after him no-one in the family knew he existed. He joined in either February or March 1915 and died on the Somme. He is buried at Meaulte cemetry. His home town was Guyhirn in Wisbech and I would love some more information on him.
Update: Herbert Harvey was born about 1896. He is in the 1911 census aged 15 and is a farm labourer. He was the son of Thomas and Harriet Harvey, of Mouth Lane, North Brink, Wisbech. The census states that he was born at Thorney, Cambridgeshire. Thomas who was then aged 58 and Harriet 59 had 16 children but just 6 were still alive in 1911.
Ancestry records state that he died of wounds. He may have been wounded on 1st July 1916 when the 11th Suffolks attacked towards La Boiselle in the Somme. In his regiment 190 were killed and 337 wounded on the 1st July 1916. To this total one should add that 10 died during the following week and a further 24 who died in the Becourt area during the weeks prior to the tragic assault.
Herbert was just 20 years old. He is buried at Meaulte Military Cemetery..
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