Remembering Melton war hero killed 100 years ago

Sgt Harry White died on the Western Front in France on December 17, 1914, while fighting with the 2nd Leicestershire Regiment.

While many of his comrades who died in the Great War were teenagers and men in their early 20s, Harry was relatively old for a soldier, aged 39.

He had already fought with distinction in the Boer War, enjoyed a career as a talented amateur footballer with Melton Town FC and established a working life as a cobbler.

David Mathers wanted to find out more about Harry’s life after buying his war medals at a sale in Leicester.

He told the Melton Times: “There are so many war medals out there that are just sat in draws and we know nothing about the person who won them.

“I bought a photo of Harry in the army football team at the same sale that I bought his medals and it sparked my interest to find out more about him.”

Harry was born in 1876 in Mansfield, Derbyshire, and he moved to Melton in the 1890s, when he worked in the boot and shoe trade for Walter Leader, of Nottingham Street. He lived in Pall Mall in the town.

He enlisted at Melton in January 1899 and served in Ireland and Egypt before joining British forces in South Africa when the Boer War broke out.

Harry married Gertrude Eugenie Underwood in January 1909 and the couple had three children, Arthur Harry, Constance Evelyn and Patricia Eugenie.

He was serving in India when the First World War broke out in 1914, when he went to fight in the trenches with the Leicestershires.

News of his death was announced in the Melton Times – then known as The Melton Mowbray Times and Vale of Belvoir Gazette – in the issue of January 15, 1915.

The article, under the headline ‘MELTON AND THE WAR – ANOTHER LOCAL CASUALTY’, reads: “Up to the beginning of last December Sergt. White regularly corresponded with his sister Mrs. Chamberlain, of Pall Mall, Melton Mowbray, who last heard from him on the 10th ult.

"In that letter he stated that he was still in the land of the living, but would have to postpone his anticipated Christmas visit to Melton, though he hoped to come another year.

"As no further letter was received by any of his relatives, they naturally became anxious, and last Monday week it came to Mrs. Chamberlain’s knowledge that someone in the town had received a letter from a friend at the front in which he stated that Sergt. White, of the 2nd Leicestershire Regiment had been killed.”

Harry is buried at Le Touret Military Cemetery, Richebourg-L’avoue, and he has his own grave.

The medals David bought are Harry’s Queen’s and King’s South Africa medals (Boer War) and three regular medals for his First World War service.

David wants to find out more about Harry’s life and locate more photos of him – email him at [email protected] if you can help.