Harold Charles Quiney, sometimes written as Quinney, was born at Stratford-on-Avon, Warwickshire in 1893, and baptised there on June 14th of that year. He was the son of William Edward Quiney and Mary, his wife.
In the 1901 Census for England, available on Ancestry, the family were living at 37 Waterside, Stratford-on-Avon. The head of the family was Thomas Nicholls, a carpenter, age 77, whose wife Jane was 76, both born in Warwickshire. Their son-in-law, William E Quiney, was 46, and a plasterer, and his wife Mary was 45, and a laundress. Grandchildren Florence 12, Mabel 9, and Harold C. 8, had all been born in Stratford-on-Avon.
The family were still at Waterside in the 1911 Census. Thomas Nicholls was now a widower, age 86.
William E Quiney was 55, Mary Jane Quiney was also 55, and William E Quiney Jr was 32. Harold Charles was 18, and they were now joined by Lilian Mary age 9, who had been born since the last census.
Harold’s service records have not survived, and there is no card for him in the Hawarden archives. However, we know from the website “Soldiers who died in the Great War”, that he enlisted at Stratford-on-Avon in the Royal Welsh (Welch) Fusiliers, and that his theatre of war was the Western European Theatre.
The Medal Rolls Index Cards give his date of entry into his Theatre of War as October 6th 1914, and adds that he served in the 1st RWF, and 2nd RWF at the Infantry Base Depot, and that his sub-unit was the 1st Battalion.
The UK Army Registers of Soldiers Effects has an entry for Harold. On December 11th 1916, his mother Mary, the sole legatee, was granted £8 13s, and on September 27th 1919, she was granted an additional £11 war gratuity.
Harold is commemorated on the Stratford-on-Avon war memorial, where he is named as Harold, as on the Prestatyn memorial.
He is also named in the Roll of Honour of the 2nd Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers, which states that at the time of Harold’s death, the 2nd Battalion were engaged in the Battle of the Somme, and involved in the attack on High Wood.
So far, it has not been possible to link this soldier with Prestatyn. The connection might be his service in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, but we do not know.
Can anyone help?