Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Memorial: | St. Nicolas British Cemetery | I. E. 1. | |
| 2. Book: | The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918 | Pg.136 | |
| 3. Memorial: | The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour | 9B GQS | |
Awards & Titles: | Mentioned in Despatches | ||
Family :
Son of Col. and Mrs. Edwin Thorne, of Wolverhampton; husband of Evelyn May Thorne (nee Addenbrooke) of 60, Courtfield Gardens, London. Solicitor.Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: 12/Royal Scots |
12th (Service) Battalion Formed at Edinburgh, August 1914, as part of K1. August 1914 : attached to 27th Brigade, 9th (Scottish) Division and moved to Bordon. Landed in France May 1915. |
| Action : The Arras Offensive and associated actions |
9 April - 16 June 1917. The Arras Offensive consisted of a series of linked attacks starting with the Anglo Canadian assault on the dominant Vimy Ridge feature through the battles in the Scarpe River valley and up to the assaults on the Hindenburg line in the summer of 1917.
Detail :
Brother of Guy Stafford Thorne. Both attended Wolverhampton Grammar School. HAROLD UNDERHILL HATTON THORNE (1891-1897 : 36), Lieutenant Colonel of the 12th Battalion, The Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment), was the elder brother of the preceding. When he left school he became a solicitor and was for some time in the Town Clerk's office at Wolverhampton. In 1905 he was appointed solicitor to the Berkshire County Council and later Deputy Clerk to that Council and Deputy Clerk of the Peace. Having joined the Territorial Force and reached the rank of Captain in the 4th Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment, he went to France early in 1915. After coming home for an operation, he went out again in December 1916, as Major, second in command of the 6th Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers, and within a few weeks he was again promoted and given command of a battalion of the Royal Scots. He was mentioned in despatches in March 1917, and on the following April 9th was killed while leading his Battalion in the Arras battle. His Brigadier spoke of him as an exemplary commander and a sterling man, whose influence was felt throughout the Brigade. He has left a widow "Evelyn, only daughter of Mr & Mrs T J Addenbrooke" and two children, a boy and a girl. Like his brother, he had freely used his abilities for the credit and service of the school. Both here and elsewhere he was prominent in sport and in hockey he was an International.
Book - Visiting the Fallen-Arras South Pg27-28: "Lieutenant Colonel Harold Underhill Hatton THORNE was killed in action commanding the 12th Royal Scots on 9 April 1917, about 200 yards from his battalion's first objective, Obermayer Trench. According to regimental sources, he was probably killed by one of our own shells. He previously had served as a captain with the 4th Royal Berkshire Regiment and the 6th King's Own Scottish Borderers before transferring to the Royal Scots. He was mentioned in despatches in March 1917 just before his death. His father had also attained the rank of colonel during his military service (Plot I.E.1)."
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | Reading Lodge of Union No. 414 E.C. | Berkshire |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
15th January 1907 | 19th February 1907 | 19th March 1907 |
Senior Deacon
Source :
The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:
- The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
- The (UK) National Archives
- Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
- ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry
Additional Source:
- Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
- Researcher : Bruce Littley