Littleborough soldier who fell 100 years ago remembered

Corporal Harold Ernest Green

Corporal Harold Ernest Green was born in Littleborough on 7 November 1885 and in 1901 Harold (asst grocer) was living with his parents Ernest (grocer – shopkeeper) and Margaret at 24 Victoria Street with his sister Sara, Mabel Sharp (adopted) and Sarah Oldfield (shown as his father’s aunt and whom he was visiting in 1891).

By 1911 the family were living at 34 Glen View, Gale and his father was a gardener (domestic) and Harold was a finisher in a print works.

Prior to enlisting in Manchester in September 1914 he was connected with Littleborough Parish Church being a Lieutenant of Holy Trinity Company of the Church Lads Brigade, a teacher in the Sunday School, member of the choir since a boy and was well known (later) for singing bass solos, he played both the piano and violin. He was a well known local cricketer and was one of the best players in the Littleborough Cricket Club playing for the first eleven.

Corporal C/499 Harold E Green 16th Bn, Kings Royal Rifle Corp went to France on the 10 November 1915 which was just three days after the death of his father. He was killed in action on Sunday 2 January 1916 near Givenchy Lez La Bassee.

Notice of the death of Corporal Green was first mentioned in a letter written sometime between the 2 January and the 12 January when Rifleman Frank Kay of the same battalion (who was himself killed on Tuesday 21 March 1918) wrote to his mother (Mrs Kay, 4 Wellington Street) and said that he wished Corporal Green “good luck on the 2 January as they passed one another in the trenches, and five minutes later Corporal Green was killed by the explosion of a mine which the Germans had constructed".

Rifleman Kay added: “The explosion was followed by a heavy bombardment by the Germans.”

Corporal Green’s body was recovered from under some debris and he was buried by a Church of England Chaplain. He lies in Grave Number I. H. II. Woburn Abbey Cemetery, Cuinchy, Pas de Calais, France.

The loss of Corporal Green was an additional loss to his mother of 34 Glen View, Todmorden Road, as his father had died on Harold’s 29th birthday.

The Rochdale Observer for 19 January 1916 reported that there was a crowded congregation at the service held in the Parish Church on Sunday evening in memory of Cpl Harold Ernest Green of the Kings Royal Rifles – the Church Lads Brigade Battalion. As part of the service there was a procession by the Church Lads Brigade whose drummers assisted with the ‘Last Post’. The ‘Death March’ was also played.

He is remembered on Littleborough Cenotaph, the Oddfellows, Lodge 3397, Roll of Honour – Voluntary Section (now in the History Centre), on the Holy Trinity War Memorial and on a memorial stone in St James Churchyard.