Harold Hiley from Todmorden

The last Blog post listed the Todmorden men who lost their lives in the First World War. One of them was Harold Hiley.

Harold was born in Todmorden in 1890, the son of John and Mary Ann (nee Graham). Harold, a weaver of Russell Street, Cross Stone, Todmorden married Martha Walker, a Spinner of Knowlwood Road, Walsden on 29th April 1911 at St Peter’s Church, Walsden. They lived at 14 Cannon Street, Shade, Todmorden. Harold was a member of the Hope Lodge of Oddfellows and worked as a weaver at Hollins Mill in Walsden. Harold and Martha had a child, John, who died in infancy.

Harold enlisted with the Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding Regiment) 2nd Battalion in Halifax at Whitsuntide in 1915. He was wounded in France and hospitalised for about 8 months in England before returning to his unit in about June 1918. He was killed in action at Harcourt on the river Sensée, aged 27, on 30th August 1918 and was buried at Vis-en-Artois British Cemetery, Haucourt in northern France. Vis-en-Artois and Haucourt were taken by the Canadian Corps on 27th August 1918. The cemetery was begun immediately afterwards and was used by fighting units and field ambulances until the middle of October. It consisted originally of 430 graves of which 297 were Canadian and 55 belonged to the 2nd Duke of Wellington's Regiment. 

Todmorden Advertiser and Hebden Bridge Newsletter, 20th September 1918.

This content is included courtesy of the British Newspaper Archive (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)
Image © Johnston Press plc. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

Harold is remembered on the Todmorden War Memorial, and on the Memorials of St Aidan’s Church, Oddfellows’ Hall and Roomfield Baptist Church. He is also named on the headstone of the family grave at Cross Stone graveyard in Todmorden.  

Harold Hiley's gravestone in Vis-en-Artois British cemetery in France

 The family grave at Cross Stone, Todmorden