254253 Pte. Henry John Haskell British Army 15th Btn. Hampshire Regiment from:103 Somers Road, Southsea, Portsmouth Harry Haskell lived all his life in Portsmouth, Hampshire. He was my Grandfather, although I never met him.
He lied about his age in order to enlist with the 15th Hampshire Regiment on 2nd June 1915, being only 17 at the time. He married on 11th September, and left for war almost immediately.
Apparently he was in action at Flers in October 1916 where huge losses of men from 15th Hants. saw Henry transferred to the 122nd Machine Gun Corps. and a diary entry says he was with them in France 2nd of September 1917, ( Battle of Ypres) and in Italy from 19th of January 1918.
In June 1918 he was wounded by gunshot in the left knee and right side at Givenchy, France. This was blighty wound and he arrived back in England on 7th of July 1918. He was discharged from the army as unfit, and from hospital in Ripon, on 13th December 1918. He arrived back home at midnight on that day.
He was granted a war disability pension of 11 shillings and sixpence a week.
His knee continued to trouble him. About 1929 his mental health deteriorated, and in 1931 was admitted permanently to St James's Psychiatric Hospital, where he spent the rest of his life.
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