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Cpl. William Harding
British Army 7th Btn. Middlesex Regiment
(d.London)
William Harding was born on 7th July 1889 in Purandhar, India where his Father was CSM in the 5th (Royal Irish) Lancers. The family returned to England just before the start of the Boer War, as William Snr had finished his period of service. They lived in various addresses in the Kensington area of London. William Jnr was apprenticed to a firm of printers as a compositor. In July 1908, he joined 2nd Battalion, 1st London Brigade of the Royal Field artillery. This was as a Territorial soldier and he served until July 1912, reaching the rank of Bombardier. He re-joined the TA in Sept 1913 agreeing to serve abroad with the 7th (Imperial Service) Battalion of the Middlesex Regiment. He was promoted Corporal in Feb 1914 and was posted to Gibraltar between Sept 1914 and Feb 1915. After a brief spell in England, he was posted to France on 12th of March 1915.
He was wounded in the leg on 10th July 1915 and evacuated to England on 22 July 1915. He was promoted Sergeant in Dec 1915 and recuperated until Oct 1915 when he was declared fit for duty. He served in England until August 1917 when he was promoted CQMS and posted to the Labour Corps where he served until Feb 1919 when he was demobilized. He returned to London and lived in Bromley, marrying and having three children. He returned to his printing job until he retired. He served in the Home Guard in WW2 and died in 1968. My mother was his eldest daughter and he was the upright military grandfather I loved as a child.
