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| | | | | | Street in Southwark on 14 Jul 1913. [67 Tabard Street was the address given on Henry Robert's death certificate in 1918 it may be remembered].
The birth was registered by Kate Ann and she gave the father's name as 'Henry' on the certificate ( - unlike for Jack's registration, done by Harry himself). Strangely Harry's occupation was not given as 'Soldier' but as 'Carman' but this may have related to his civilian job he had just prior to enlistment - and which incidentally made him the fourth generation of Gander's in this work.
At the time the Great War broke out on 4 Aug 1914 Harry's regiment was made up of 4 regular battalions*. | | | | | | |
| | | | | | Why Harry and Kate Ann returned to England is not known, but perhaps there was not enough work in Dublin. Possibly he returned because of his grandfather's illness. However, on 4 Apr 1912, Thomas William died aged 77 in the Southwark Infirmary.
6.3 ENLISTS AS A SOLDIER AND THE GREAT WAR 1914-18
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or about 26 Jun 1912* at the age of 26 Harry joined the Royal Fusiliers
- a 'London' infantry regiment. He became Private Harry
Gander with an Army Serial Number of 13749.
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| | | | | | | | * Harry's eventual Discharge Certificate says he enlisted in London on 15 Jul 1909 but his Character Certificate, whilst agreeing the Date of Discharge, says he 'Served with the Colours for seven years and 22 days', ie enlisted 1912. | | | | | | | | | | |
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| | | | | | * A battalion then consisted of upwards of 1,000 men and officers. | | | | | | |
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| | | | | | | It is not known for certain which battalion Harry was in up till then but it is likely to have been the 4th Battalion. This battalion was amongst the first to be landed in France as part of the British Expeditionary Force and indeed saw early action against the invading German Armies, but we know Harry was no longer part of the 4th Battalion following 4 Aug 1914 as he was not awarded the 1914 Star*. | | | | | | |
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| | | | | Sadly his record of service which would have eventually ended up at the Public Records Office (and so open to public inspection) was amongst the many millions of service records probably destroyed by enemy bombing during the 1939-45 World War. However by piecing together details from the Medals Rolls, plus his Army Discharge Certificate, Army Character Certificate, some letters and even a page from his army medical file, all later found by his daughter 'Babs' (Christina), it is possible to follow many aspects of Harry's Army career. | | | | | | | |
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| | | | | * Only awarded to those who served in France or Belgium between 5 Aug and 22 Nov 1914. | | | | | | |
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| | | | | | Firstly however the birth of Harry and Kate Ann's fourth child Ernest Michael Francis (although the 'Francis' is not given on the birth certificate); Ernie was born at 22 Falstaff Yard off Tabard | | | | | | | | |
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| | | | | | | | The Barracks at Mullingar c.1909 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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