Ypres Reservoir Cemetery: P. Priano
Ypres Reservoir Cemetery: Pauline Priano
Ypes Reservoir Cemetery
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
The family of Harry Calcott Jnr originated from Stafford, Staffordshire, where he was born in 1896. The only son of Harry Calcott Snr and Eliza Francis, born November 11th 1868 and October 31st 1867 respectively, he also had an elder sister, Elsie, born 1892. His parents were married in 1891 and in 1901 Eliza was living with their 2 children alone at 10, Back Holloway Bank, West Bromwich as her husband, a steel sheet worker, had departed in search of work. By 1911 they had all migrated to the north east and were living in 5 rooms at 8, Roker Terrace, Yarm Road, Stockton-on-Tees. Harry Snr was employed at the sheet mill as a steel sheet roller, Harry Jnr (15) as a clerk at the Bowesfield iron works.
When war was declared in August 1914 he was 18/19 years of age and enlisted at Stockton-on-Tees where he was assigned as Private 2926 to the 1st/5th Battalion Durham Light Infantry. The new recruits trained over the next 9 months at Ravensworth and Gateshead for service overseas and departed from Newcastle-upon-Tyne railway station bound for France, landing at Boulogne, April 17th 1915. Within days they had moved north to the battlefields of the Ypres salient in Belgium fighting during the 2nd Battle of Ypres. The Territorials suffered heavy losses April 26th at St. Julian and in May on the Frezenberg Line. The battalion remained in the trenches on the salient, Armentieres and Kemmel, until August 1916.
Private 2926 Harry Calcott Durham Light Infantry was killed in action February 29th 1916, his body buried at map reference I. 30. a. 5. 4. where it was found along with 6 other unmarked graves, 2 unidentified British soldiers, 2 unidentified Scottish Rifles, 1 unidentified British soldier Lincolns and a Private 23224 A. Urquhart Highland Light Infantry, Private Calcott was identified by means of 2 discs. The remains of all 7 were brought into Ypres Reservoir Cemetery for reburial with all honour and reverence by an Army chaplain, May 17th 1921. Private Calcott is at rest grave VI. G. 36, at the time of his demise in 1916 he was 20 years of age and single.
Nominated as his sole beneficiary his mother Eliza received all monies due to him, a pension, the 2 discs found on his remains and his awards of the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal sent to her at 8, Roker Terrace, Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham. His father commissioned at a cost of 5 shillings 6 pence an additional inscription to be added to his military headstone, it reads, “He Died That We Might Live.”
In 1939 Harry and Eliza were still living at Roker Terrace, he was now retired. They died within 3 months of each other in 1948, Harry was 79 years of age Eliza 80, registered in the district of Durham SE.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Harry Calcott is remembered at Stockton-on-Tess on S138.13 S138.18 page 9, S138.35 and S138.39
He is also remembered in The DLI Book of Remembrance page 39
