Capt Arthur de Bells Adam (MC)
1885 - 1916

CPL David Wallace Crawford
1887 - 1916

Lce-Corpl John Joseph Nickle
1894 - 1916

Pte 17911 Morton Neill
1897 - 1916

Lieut Edward Stanley Ashcroft
1883 - 1918

L/Cpl 36254 Harry Fazackerley

Age: 30
From: Preston, Lancs
Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
K.I.A Monday 25th March 1918
Commemorated at: Pozieres Memorial
Panel Ref: P21-23

Harry Fazackerley was born in 1888 in Preston, the youngest son of John Fazackerley and Elizabeth (née Robinson). Both his baptism and civil birth registration give his name as Harry, although he is listed on censuses, as a child, as Henry, possibly as the enumerator assumed the more formal name. He was baptised in St. Thomas, Preston, on 18th April 1888, his parents’ residence given as 88 Springfield Street and father’s occupation as carter. Harry lived all his life in Springfield Street in the centre of Preston.

His father, born in Preston, and his mother, in Liverpool, married in Preston in 1874 and had eight children, two of whom died in infancy. Harry had older brothers Arthur, John, Thomas, and William, and a younger sister Hannah.

In 1891 the family is living at 78 Springfield Street, with five sons and a daughter. His father is 36, a carter whilst his mother is 38 years of age. Henry is 3 years old. His siblings are listed as; Arthur aged 16 and a cotton weaver as is John aged 13, Thomas aged 11 is an errand boy, William aged 9 is at school, and Hannah is just 1 year old. Theyalso have a boarder, William Askew, a 26-year old general labourer.

His father died at the age of 43 in 1898 when Harry was 9 years old.

The family are still at 78 Springfield Street in 1901. His widowed mother, 48, is head of household. Henry is 13, a yarn warehouse boy and has five siblings living at home; Arthur aged 26 is a sanitary labourer, John aged 23 is a corporation foreman, Thomas is 21 years of age and a cotton yarn warehouseman, William is a 19 year old pavior, and Hannah is 10 years old.

His only sister, Hannah, died in 1906 at the age of 16.

In 1911 Harry is living with his 58-year old mother and brother William, at 26 Springfield Street. William is 29, single, a municipal pavior, and Harry is 23, single, a cotton mill labourer. Although his mother is head of household, the census return is filled in and signed by Harry.

He enlisted in Preston and was serving in ‘B’ Company, 8th Platoon, 17^th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Lance-Corporal No 36254 when he was killed in action on the 25^th March 1918 aged 30, during the German Spring Offensive.

The Battalion diary for 25^th March 1918 gives an insight into the events of the day

MOYENCOURT – ROIGLISE – PLESSIER – PLESSIER FOLIES

Enemy Artillery active during the day – 4 Officers and 80 O.R. were attached to Col. Whitehead (16^th Manchesters) about 4.30 pm orders received to withdraw, which were carried out under considerable enemy shelling. One company being left to cover retreat, the remainder of the Battalion (except detached with 16^th Manchesters) marched to ROIGLISE where they embussed for to PLESSIER and there rested for the night. The company attached to the 16^th Manchesters remained in the front line until 6:50 pm and then withdrew to Cressy.

Harry was declared Wounded and Missing on 25th March 1918.

His mother wrote to the International Red Cross in hopes that Harry had been taken prisoner, but received a reply dated 21st June 1918 that they held no information. A later note on his card reports “Henry” Fazackerley 26254 [sic] “death doubtful”, but his name is included on a German list of dead dated 23/7/1918 received by the ICRC on 8/8/1918. The ICRC notes, “Do not communicate, [information] too old”.

His family suffered the anguish of not knowing Harry’s fate for nearly a year. His date of death was later presumed, for official purposes, as having occurred on or since 25th March 1918. In the Lancashire Evening Post on 7th March 1919:

“Reported wounded and missing March 25, 1918, now reported killed on that date, Lance Corporal Harry Fazackerley, King’s Liverpool Reg’t., aged 30 years. From Mother and Family, 14 Springfield Street, Preston.”

Harry has no known grave and is commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial.

The POZIERES MEMORIAL relates to the period of crisis in March and April 1918 when the Allied Fifth Army was driven back by overwhelming numbers across the former Somme battlefields, and the months that followed before the Advance to Victory, which began on 8 August 1918. The Memorial commemorates over 14,000 casualties of the United Kingdom and 300 of the South African Forces who have no known grave and who died on the Somme from 21 March to 7 August 1918.

The cemetery and memorial were designed by W.H. Cowlishaw, with sculpture by Laurence A. Turner. The memorial was unveiled by Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien on 4 August 1930.

His mother received his Army effects and a War Gratuity of £11-10s. The pension card in the name of his mother Elizabeth Fazackerley, 14 Springfield Street, Preston, shows a pension of 5/- a week was awarded, increased to 12/6d.

His mother died in 1920, aged 67, leaving her effects of £110-1s to William Askew, gentleman.

There is a Henry Fazackerley commemorated on the Goosnargh Memorial, Preston.

Harry is remembered on his parents’ headstone in Preston Cemetery:

In Loving Memory

ALSO OF L\CORPL HARRY FAZACKERLEY

SON OF THE ABOVE JOHN, KILLED IN ACTION

MARCH 25TH 1918, AGED 30 YEARS

We currently have no further information on Henry Fazackerley, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.

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