I cannot find any Flintshire or Army records for H. Parry, but I do know according to the information on the printed list of the names that are on the War Memorial Programme for the unveiling in 1927 (kindly loaned to me by Gilbert Butler) W. & H. Parry were brothers, and as I have identified Walter, I can only presume that Harry is the above H. Parry I think they were twins as they were registered at Hawarden with only 1 digit difference in their reference numbers, here is the possible Birth Certificates for both, 1 digit between them.: – Birth Indexes
Parry Henry 1886 Hawarden Flintshire (Mold) North Wales HAW/33/71
Parry Walter 1886 Hawarden Flintshire (Mold) North Wales HAW/33/72
For the census story of this family, follow the link to Walter Parry’s page.
Harry married by Licence on the 10th February 1912 at St. Ethelwold’s Church, Shotton, to Winifred PUGSLEY, age 24, who’s address was give as Cambrian View, Chester Road, Shotton and who’s father was William PUGSLEY a Sample Passer, he probably worked, as Harry did, at the Ironworks as a Roller.
Sadly Harry’s happiness was to be short lived, as Winifred was to die on the 1st December 1912, age 25, she was buried in Hawarden Churchyard on the 7th December 1912. I do not know yet what was her cause of death.
Harry died on the 26th January 1922. The Index of wills and administrations accessible on www.ancestry.co.uk includes the following item.
Henry Parry of The Gables, Chester Road Shotton, Flintshire, steelworker, died 26th January 1922 aged 35. Administration St. Asaph 27th February to Catherine Parry. Effects £242 1s 10d. (Apologies for an earlier wrong entry)
Monumental Inscriptions – St. Deniol’s Churchyard, Hawarden I 17 (Monumental Inscriptions Volume 111 – Lovelock. Page 41) :-
Stone Cross (On front of Cross: “THY WILL BE DONE” ) on 3 stepped base and kerbs. Lead Lettering. (East)” In Loving Memory of WINIFRED, the Dearly Beloved Wife of HARRY PARRY (of Shotton) who passed away Dec.1st 1912, aged 25 years, also of the above HARRY PARRY who Died for God, King & Country, Jan 26, 1922. (South) Also CATHERINE PARRY, Died Sept 20th 1954. (North) Also WALTER, Twin Brother of HARRY PARRY, Killed in Action July 20, 1916, who lies somewhere in France.”
The memorial above is on the Imperial War Museum webpage- http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/60288
So if indeed Harry served in the war which he must have done to be included on the memorial, he survived it only to die at home. He is not on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission database because the cut off time for that was 31st August 1921, so he cannot be “Brought in from the cold” even if it can be proved by his death Certificate or other documentation he died from something he suffered in his war service, gassing, T.B., wounds etc.
My speculation was confirmed by his death certificate:- He died on 26th of January 1922, he was working as a Sheet roller at some Ironworks, probably Summers, and was 35 years old when he passed away.
His cause of death is as follows
1a) Inhalation of poison gas
2) Chronic bronchitis and emphysema
His death was registered by another brother who signed his name as Thos. R Parry.
Harry’s obituary in the Flintshire Observer 2nd February 1922, gives us more information on Harry’s life, as I have not been able find any information on Harry’s army records, they may have been among the “Burnt” papers that were destroyed by bombs in WW2. However the obit does give us a few clues, as he had a a firing party, from the 5th Coy. of the R.W.F. Connah’s Quay “D” Detachment, so he may have been in the Territorials “5th Bn R.W.F. (Territorials)” and could have been in Aberystwyth as war was declared on the 4th August 1914, see the excerpt below* of Tom & Douglas TUCK pages from Hawarden, who both fell in the war and are remembered on the Hawarden War Memorial. If he was in Aberystwyth he would have had to go to Camp every year as part of his commitment to the Territorials. His marriage to Winfred PUGSLEY is not mentioned, as sadly, Winifred had died 10 years earlier. Harry was either in the Territorials and wouldn’t have to enlist or he enlisted in 1914 when war was declared and was invalided out in 1917 after he was gassed and that was to be the cause of his death 5 years later after the bad weather in the winter of 1922, when complications sealed his fate. As said earlier, his twin Walter had died in the July of 1916 at Delville Wood, before Harry was gassed. The “Last Post” was sounded by buglers’ one of whom was his school friend Mr. JONES. A party of school children from his old school, St. Ethelwold’s, sang special hymns, led by Mr. T.H. HASWELL and the Dead March in “Saul” was played by a teacher of the school, ex-Capt. VAUGHAN. The firing party was under the command of R.Q.M.S. Chambers of the Connah’s Quay Drill Hall, who had been ill for some time and who collapsed at the graveside and had to be hurried home in a motor-car. His sister Kitty (Catherine), Mr. & Mrs. DAVIES, of Saltney and Mr. & Mrs. Fred. PARRY were the chief mourners.
*Both Tom and Douglas must have been in the Territorials to be involved so early in the war. A post card posted by Tom from Aberystwyth on the 3rd August, 1914, where Tom was with the 5th R.W.F. confirms that he was with the R.W.F. (Territorials) when the camps were “struck” by special Government Orders on the early morning of the 3rd August and they returned home travelling throughout the night reaching Flint soon after six o’clock to return home and await further Orders which might be received. I have no proof that Douglas was with him, but as he was also in the 5th R.W.F., the chances of them being together is very great. (The story of the striking of the camp etc., was printed in the County Herald on the 7th August 1914.)
Harry was named on 2 other memorials – the memorial screen at St Ethelwold’s Church and the St. Ethelwold’s School Roll of Honour. Somebody made an effort to ensure he was remembered.
As Harry died after the 31st August 1921, even if he died of his war service, he is not entitled to be included on the Commonwealth War Graves database, as that was their cut-off date.
