Harry's Story.
EARLY LIFE
Harry was baptised on 30th December 1888 at St Peter's Church, Macclesfield, the son of Catherine and Thomas Duffield, a carter of 7 Burgess Street. In 1891, two-year-old Harry was living at the same address with his parents and siblings William (12), Jonathan (10), Sarah (8), James (6), and Maud (4). His parents later had four more children: Alice, Tom, Mary and Charlie.
Harry was educated at St Paul's school, Macclesfield.
In 1901, at the age of twelve, Harry was employed as a Silk Piecer. He later spent three years working for the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company as an apprentice Carriage Builder.
Harry is not listed on the 1911 census in Macclesfield and he may have emigrated to Australia around this time, joining his older brother James in Stannifer, New South Wales where he found work as a farm labourer.
WW1 SERVICE
On 16th August 1915, Harry enlisted with the Australian Army at Inverell, New South Wales. His records describe him as 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighing 144 lb, with a chest measurement of 33 inches and tattoos on both forearms. He had brown eyes, black hair and a dark complexion.
Harry left Australia from Sydney aboard the RMS Osterly on 15th January 1916. In April 1916 he was admitted to the 26th General Hospital at Etaples, seriously ill with influenza, and was invalided back to England a month later, suffering from malaria. He returned to France in August 1916.
Harry was reprimanded in February 1917 for overstaying his leave in Amiens, but this did not seem to have harmed his career as he was promoted to Lance Corporal and also recommended for the Military Medal on 9th April 1917:
"At Hermies on 9th April, for gallantry in action and devotion to duty. Although wounded and exposed to heavy hostile shell fire, this man remained with his Lewis gun throughout, as there was no-one else to fire the gun. He handled his gun with great courage and resource, and inflicted much loss on the enemy."
Harry was killed in action one month later on 4th May 1917 at the age of 28 and shortly afterwards was awarded the Military Medal he had been recommended for (Gazetted on 26th May 1917). The receipt of the medal by L/Cpl Duffield's mother was reported in the Macclesfield Courier on 23 February 1918:
The Military Medal won by her son, Lance-Corporal Harry Duffield, late of the Ausralian Imperial Forces, has been received by Mrs Duffield, of 7 Burgess Street. Lance-Corporal Duffield did not live very long to wear his decoration, being awarded his ribbon and a stripe at the beginning of May last and being killed in action by an enemy sniper on May 5th. Another son, Sapper James Duffield, AIF, is expected on furlough this weekend.
COMMEMORATION
Lance Corporal Harry Duffield has no known resting place and he is commemorated on the Villers-Brettoneux Memorial, Somme, France.
In Macclesfield, Harry Duffield is commemorated on the Park Green, Town Hall, St Michael's Church, St Peter’s Church and St Paul's Church war memorials.
NOTES
Harry's brother James, who was a telegraph linesman in civil life, joined the AIF in August 1917 as a Sapper with the 2nd Tunnelling Company, service number 7831. He served in France from March 1918 and was admitted to Exeter Hospital in October 1918, suffering from a gunshot wound to the knee. After the war ended he returned to Australia.
SOURCES
GRO (England & Wales) Index: Births, Marriages, Deaths
Cheshire Parish Baptism Registers (Find My Past): St Peter's Church, Macclesfield
Census (England & Wales): 1891, 1901, 1911
First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920 (National Archives of Australia)
Australia, Military Commemorative Rolls (Find My Past)
Commonwealth War Graves Commission website
Macclesfield Courier: 23 February 1918
Research by Rosie Rowley, Congleton.
Research by Rosie Rowley, Congleton.