Have You a Tiger In Your Family?

Rank : Sergeant

Army Number : 5455

Unit : 2nd Bn

Biography :

Enlisted at Melton Mowbray. Served with the 1st Battalion in Transvaal, South Africa during the Boer War. Was serving with 1st Bn in United Kingdom in 1909-1910 and was noted as both a cricketer and footballer. Later served with the 2nd Bn during War One. Killed in action France and Flanders campaign 17.12.1914. He is buried at Le Touret Military Cemetery, Richebourg-L'Avoue, Pas de Calais, France.

The following appeared in the Melton Times on 19 November 2024:

Remembering Melton war hero killed 100 years ago. Story by Nick Rennie

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.

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

"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 davidrmathers@yahoo.co.uk if you can help.

Date of Birth : c1875

Place of Birth : Mansfield, Nottinghamshire

Date of Death : 17.12.1914

Place of Death : France

Civil Occupation : Cobbler

Period of Service : 1899-1914

Conflicts : Boer War, WW1

Places Served : South Africa, France and Flanders