HI All

Thanks for all your comments.

I hadn't appreciated my first post would generate this much interest.

Apologies if my initial post was slightly " cryptic " but the following information may provide some context:

Archie Leonard John Harper was the husband of my Great Aunt Clarice Hible.

He served with the 9th (Service) Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment in Salonica and later in France.

His unit saw action at the Battle of Horesehoe Hill on 10th August 1916 and Battles of Doiran/ Dojran, April /May 1917 in the Salonica Campaign. He was injured during this campaign and hospitalised at the 66th Field Hospital between 14 June 1917 and 17 June 1917.

His unit moved to France in July 1918 and he saw action at the Battle of Cambrai 8 Oct 1918, Pursuit to the Selle 9 Oct 1918 and Battle of the Selle 17 Oct 1918.

His injuries in France were related to mustard gas. He was initially taken to the 74th General Hospital at Trouville and then 1st Australian General Hospital near Rouen on 25th October 1918.

I suspect his bravery in one of these later actions led to the award of the Military Medal ( see London Gazette dated 17th June 1919) although I am still trying to track down the citation.

He survived the war and moved to South Yorkshire. He lived in Tankersley and worked as a miner ( Hewer according to the 1939 Register) at Wharncliffe Silkstone colliery.

He had six children with Clarice and died in 1972.

I have gathered my information from multiple sources: However my primary source has been conversations with my Father and family photos.

Secondary sources include Ancestry, Find My Past, Forces War Records, The Long Long Trail and National Archives websites together with " Under The Devils Eye " book by Alan Wakefield and Simon Moody, and the London Gazette.

I hope this update may be of interest to other forum members.

regards

Ian

Archie was Home: 11 November 1914 to 19 September 1915

Ex Force France - 20 September 1915 to 6 October 1915

His father is listed as Albert HARPER - Oldcroft

Thanks very much MPG for saving me the effort today !.

Last night I did try searching for his Army Medal Card, as that section of Ancestry is currently free to access without a subscription, but no luck - there were an awful lot of Archie Harpers to browse thro, never mind all the A. Harpers etc etc.

If past years are anything to go by I'm sure that Ancestry will be offering free access to all their other WW1 records during this coming Remembrance Weekend, altho as you so rightly say these are available free-of-charge at all times at most UK public libraries.

It's especially pleasing his detailed service Records are there - as you know these are sometimes known as the Burnt Records. As the result of a fire caused by an incendiary bomb at the London War Office Record Store during the 1940 Blitz, about two thirds of 6.5 million WW1 soldiers' documents were destroyed, the rest were often damaged around the edges due to the fire and especially subsequent water damage while the fire was extinguished.
Luckily the Medal Cards survived this fire.

Thanks again, J

Archie HARPER's brother-in-law

Tom HIBLE - aged 19 on the 1911 census - from 121 Wortley Road, High Green, Sheffield (same address as 1911 census) also Served in WW1 with the York Lance Labour Corp : Regimental Number 210735.

His records on Ancestry are very clear.

First Joined, 26 May 1915, served in Egypt, France

Disease of left knee through operation 26 September 1916, Hospita, Boul France etc etc

Height 5' 4"

Thanks for that MPG,
when I was researching him last night I wondered why Archie and family had moved to Yorkshire c1926, but never got as far looking at his wife's line, thanks.

see https://forum.forest-of-dean.net/index.php?id=50278