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Sgt. Harry Kershaw Haigh
British Army 3rd Btn. Manchester Regiment
from:Milnrow
My grandfather, Harry Haigh, was born in Rochdale on the 21st of September 1880, the youngest child of James Henry and Sarah. The family moved to live in Milnrow near Rochdale, the birthplace of his mother. Harry had been a soldier in the Manchester Regiment from 1902 until 1910 and was then in the National Army Reserve until he was called up at the outbreak of WW1. He had married in 1911 and had a daughter in 1912 and at the time they lived in Heywood near Rochdale
He rejoined on the 24th of September 1914 as a Lance Corporal in the 3rd Manchesters and on the 9th of November he was posted to the 1st Manchesters and was sent to France with them.
In December 1914 he was fighting in the Battle of Givenchy and in June 1915 he suffered a shell wound to his forehead and then a bout of enteric fever whilst with No. 2 Company of the 1st Manchesters, and was transferred to D on the 16th of July that year. He was sent to a war hospital in Preston, perhaps Dunstan House?, Lancashire.
He returned to service on the 6th of October 1915 and was posted to the 3rd Manchesters as an unpaid Lance Corporal, still serving in France and at some point in 1916 was posted B.S.O. to the 2nd Manchesters as a Lance Corporal and in September that year was again transferred, this time to the 21st Manchesters and by the 21st of September had been promoted to Corporal.
In 1917 he was at Mailly, France with the 21st Manchesters and on the 12th of January he was injured by a shell entering his forehead and he was sent to Bellhouston Red Cross Hospital in Glasgow on the 23rd of January 1917. His promotion to Sergeant came through before this attack and he rejoined the 3rd Manchesters as a Sergeant on the 10th of April 1917, remained in England and was posted to the 70th Training Reserve Battalion as an instructor. On the 14th May 1918 he was attached to the NCO's School as an instructor and was discharged from the Army on 31st of March 1920 having served 18 years 42 days.
He was awarded the 1914 Star, the Victory Medal and the British War Medal. He died in 1943 and is buried in Heywood Cemetery, Lancashire with his wife who had died a month earlier.
