Lance Corporal Harry Jenkins 2nd/5th Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment

South Staffordshire Cap Badge

Harry Jenkins was a Lance Corporal in the 2/5th Battalion of the South Staffordshire Regiment – a Territorial Battalion. He was No. 242164 and was only 19 when he was killed on Wednesday 26th September 1917. He enlisted in Leicester into the Leicestershire Regiment (No. 30088) but was later transferred to the South Staffs.

He was the son of George & Ada Jenkins of Great Glen.

In the 1901 Census Harry, aged 2, was living with his mother Ada, his maternal grandparents and his mother's elder sister Emily in School Street, Great Glen. Ada’s father was a salesman in the Co-op stores as was Emily. Also living with them was 4 yr old Emily, Harry's elder sister. Harry's father George, however, was living with his widowed father in Burton Overy. George was described as a groom and gardener.

59th Division
Flash

The 2/5th Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment was part of 176 Brigade in 1917 which was part of the 59th (2nd North Midlands) Division. They were involved in the Flanders Offensive and Harry’s battalion was at Winnezeale from the beginning of September 1917. On 19th September they moved to the Red Rose Camp at Brandhock and on 21st September a further move took them to Goldfish Chateau in the Ypres North Region. On 25th September at 5.50am the Battalion advanced and dug in on a captured line running north east from Primrose Cottage, then at 3.00pm they moved again to a position known as Pommern Castle. The following day, 26th September, the line was subjected to a very heavy enemy barrage and at 6.00pm the enemy counter-attacked. By 7.00pm the attack had been broken with the loss of 1 officer and 20 other ranks which included Harry Jenkins.

Harry's Name on Tyne Cot

Harry has no known grave and is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial in Belgium. Details of how to get to the Memorial can be found by clicking on to the link to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission web site.

The Tyne Cot Memorial

Harry was entitled to the British War Medal and the Victory Medal