Oliver Harry Pte. 4458220
Personnel Entry
Name Oliver Harry
Army number 4458220
Rank Private.
Decorations None known beyond Service Awards.
Date of birth 13/3/1919 in Sedgefield District.
Age 103 at the time of his death.
Unit Enlisted in The Durham Light Infantry. Conscripted on 13th November 1939. Posted to the DLI Depot at Brancepeth for initial training. Posted to the 10th Battalion DLI. Served in Northern France with the B.E.F. Notified as being a Prisoner of War 12/7/1940 (probably captured 20/5/1940). Repeated Escape Attempts carried out. Liberated by American Forces 4/5/1945. Repatriated to the UK. Relegated to the Class Z Army Reserve 7/7/1946.
Company/Battery Company not yet known.
Platoon or other sub-unit Not yet known.
Task or role After initial training as a Rifleman, Harry was trained as a Driver - particularly on Bren Carriers, although had no opportunity to work in that role once with 10th Battalion.
Joined Brigade Probably December 1939 following initial training.
Promotions None known.
Wounded Yes - bayonetted during recapture in 1942 after an escape attempt from PoW custody.
Prisoner of War Yes - Camps 9C Thorn, Sondershausen Work Camp 739, Molsdorf, Hmenau, Hildburghausen, Molsdorf, Freyburg, Muhlhausen, Unterbreizbach. PoW Number 9660.
Died/Killed in action Date of death 24th May 2022, aged 103. Thanks are due to Harry's daughter for making us aware of his death.
Home address Harry attended Cornforth Lane School and left at 15. He was living at Danesbury, 1, The Avenue in Coxhoe, near Durham in 1939 according to the General Register. Pre-war Harry worked for a local haulier (Talbot's) and then worked underground, eventually as a hand putter at Bowburn Colliery (owned by Dorman Long), though he did not return to mining after the War. He was a keen sportsman and cyclist - being a member of Coxhoe Cycling Club. Father Henry, mother Elin A. Married Margaret Middleton (1921 - 2013) in Durham Central 21st June 1945. Margaret served in the A.T.S. Lived at Sherburn Village.
Source table 10DLI
To read Harry's Obituary on the Northern Echo Website please click here https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/memorials/death-notices/death/20191119.harry-oliver/
To read an article about Harry please click here https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/i-lucky-came-home-97-12164744
