No.26708, Private, Harry WALLIS
Aged 27
| This man was either WALLIS or JOLLY as a civilian , but militarily he was WALLIS, his legal surname. Harry WALLIS born Barrow 1889 (2nd qtr 1889 Thingoe 4a;724) son of Sarah WALLIS. She married George JOLLY in 1891. 1891 census...Aged 1, Harry WALLIS was at 2 Meadow Place, Barrow with his widowed grandmother Emma WALLIS [54] born Mildenhall; mother Sarah J WALLIS [22] single, born Barrow 1901 census...Aged 11, Harry JOLLY was at 6 Meadow Row, Barrow with his step-father George JOLLY [33] horsekeeper; his mother Sarah J [32]; half sisters Mabel [8] and Edith E [3]; grandmother Emma WALLIS [64]. All were born in Barrow 1911 census...Aged 21, Harry JOLLY, a tailor's presser was at 6 Meadow Row, Barrow with his stepfather and mother; half sisters Edith and Trissie Ella [8] |
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He enlisted in Bury St.Edmunds, using his legal surname of WALLIS
The battalion war diary simply says " 9th- Enemy trenches in R33d and RATION TRENCH attacked..see special report attached." This special report has not been found, but 57d.R.33.d. is an area NW of Pozières astride the D73, 2/3rds the way from Pozières and Thiepval. from Lt Col Murphy's "History of the Suffolk Regiment: In the August of 1916 the Pozieres area witnessed the severest fighting as British and Australian troops pushed doggedly towards Thiepval along the route of the old German Second Line. A series of parallel trench lines was pushed out from Pozières towards Thiepval and by the 8th August 7th Suffolks and other troops of 12th (Eastern) Division occupied the fifth line of trenches - Fifth Avenue or Ration Trench. Here they were subjected to repeated and fierce German flammenwerfer (flamethrowers)and bomb attacks, the War Diary reporting..... " 2am - Hostile fire becomes very intense and enemy assaulted Ration Trench unsuccessfully. 5am - Attack renewed and about 70 yards of Ration Trench captured by the enemy." Later that evening and on into the early hours of the next morning the trench was retaken, the Regimental History recording ..... " Capt Isham's company attacked with great dash and gained an additional two hundred yards." The Suffolks lost 52 men killed on 9th August 1916, of which only 8 have known graves, the rest are named on the Thiepval Memorial
click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details |
