Harry Tranter was born in 1887 in Cookley, near Kidderminster, Worcestershire.

At the time of his birth, Harry was the seventh child and fourth son of parents Frederick and Margaret Tranter (nee McManus) who’d moved to Cookley from Birmingham, where they were both born and brought-up. Harry’s eldest sibling, Fred (who’d been named after his dad) was also born in Birmingham whilst his second-eldest sibling (his sister, Harriet) was born in Cookley in 1876 – suggesting that Frederick and Margaret had made the move from Brummagem to Cookley sometime around the winter of 1885 and the spring of 1886.

Harry’s dad Frederick was employed as a wire-drawer in the local ‘Wire and Nail Works’ which had come-into-being when the old woodscrew factory had closed-down. Uniquely, elements of the manufacturing processes for both businesses were situated in the sandstone caves which sat beneath the Bull’s Head public house in Cookley. At one time the River Stour, which ran close to the caves, was channelled to run into them, allowing its flow to power the nail and screw making machines.

Whilst Frederick was at work, Harry’s mum Margaret, would have been kept busy bringing up the children and looking after their house on Portway Place in Cookley.

At the time of his birth, Harry’s siblings were his big-brothers Fred, Joseph and William – and his big sisters Harriet, Agnes and Alice.

When Harry had reached the age of four, the National Census of 1891 confirms that the family had moved to Mill Cottages – better known locally as Factory Row. The cottages had been built by the Wire and Nail Works owner, Mr Joseph Harrison, to provide accommodation for his workers.

The 1891 Census also shows that whilst Frederick was still a wire-drawer, his oldest son Fred had also now found work; he was a nail-machine feeder in the same manufactory. The same Census also confirms that Frederick and Margaret had welcomed two more children into the world; meaning that Harry was no longer the youngest of the brood – he now had a little-brother named Stanley (born in 1889) and a little-sister named Sabina Charlotte (born in 1890).

In 1899, Harry’s brother Joseph left home at the age of 18 and joined the army, signing up with the newly formed 4th Battalion of the Worcestershire Regiment.

By the time of the 1901 Census, Harry’s other big-brothers, Frederick and William, were both working and bringing money into the household (as a pipe-jointer and a general labourer respectively). Indeed, even 14-year-old Harry had now found work himself, as a paper-making apprentice – most probably at the Hurcott Paper Mill, a brisk twenty-minute walk from his Cookley home. 

At some stage between 1891 and 1901, the family had moved once again, this time to Shrubbery Row, not far from their old house on Portway Place – perhaps more room was needed, because Frederick and Margaret had had another two children; a fifth daughter named Ethel Margaret (born in 1893) and a sixth son named Sidney Charles (born in 1895).

Tragedy struck the family in 1902, when they learnt that Joseph had been killed in action during the second Anglo-Boer War. His battalion had been deployed to South Africa towards the end of hostilities, not necessarily as a fighting unit, but to guard Boer prisoners. However, a number of the battalion, including Joseph, served in the 17th Mounted Infantry and he was one of five killed in action on the 8th of February 1902, when attacking a Boer Kommandos base at Spytfontein Farm in Doornberg, just south east of Ventersberg. He was buried on the battlefield.

Joseph’s loss would have been devastating for the family; made worse by the futility of his sacrifice and the fact that he now lay in a place that none of them had ever heard of…

Eight years after this tragedy, in 1910 Harry married his sweetheart Alice. They’d moved into Kidderminster, living at number 29 Stourbridge Road, on the edge of the Horsefair district of town.

At this time Harry was working as a press operator, making rims for motorised vehicles - most probably at what was then called, the Chaddesley Manufacturing Company Limited in Cookley (but which in 1913 became known as Steel Stamping Limited. The site is one of the longest continually-used plants for manufacturing in the UK, stretching back to 1650 when water-powered forges began the Cookley plant's long association with metalwork. Still operating today, the American owned manufactory is now known as Titan Steel Wheels).

Tragedy was about to strike the Tranter family once again however...

In 1913 - just as things were looking good for Harry - his sweetheart and wife of just three years died at a terribly young age. The reason for her passing is not known. Perhaps fortuitously, Harry and Alice hadn’t had any children in their all-too-short time together, so Harry was suddenly on his own; perhaps gaining some level of solace from his other great interest - that of being a territorial volunteer. 

Meanwhile, having seen some of their children move out – Frederick and Margaret now had three grandchildren living with them in yet another new house, back on Portway Place. The parentage of the grandchildren is difficult to confirm, but they all carried the Tranter name.

Maybe spurred on by his brother Joseph’s service and sad loss with the Worcesters in Africa, or perhaps due to heightened patriotism after reading reports about the country’s recently won war there – but in 1903, aged just 16, Harry signed-up with the local Imperial Yeomanry Volunteer Force (which had not long returned home after seeing action against the Boers). 

This would have been a reservist position which allowed Harry to continue his home life as normal, committing to regular drill and field training exercises on a regular basis. Harry served with the Imperial Yeomanry Volunteers from the 25th of November 1903 through to the 3rd of April 1908.

The Haldane Reforms

The ‘Haldane Reforms’ were a series of far-ranging reforms of the British Army made from 1906 to 1912, and named after the then Secretary of State for War, Richard Burdon Haldane. They were made in response to lessons newly learned in the Boer War.

The main objective of Haldane’s structure-change was the creation of an expeditionary force, specifically equipped, prepared and trained for any future action in a major war – particularly one which might necessitate a large scale deployment overseas.

Haldane’s idea was that in peacetime, the newly formed force should have a very visible presence, providing home defence, being supported in this task by a full complement of reservist troops. At the same time, the reservist forces should also be restructured and expanded so as to ensure that if the main force was ever deployed overseas, they could provide well trained reinforcements and replacements. His thoughts were that the reservists would also step-up and provide for home defence when the main forces were deployed, as long as they were not required for overseas support duties.

As a result of the Haldane Reforms, Harry’s Volunteer Force was subsumed into the new Territorial Force, his old unit becoming the 2nd South Midland Brigade, Royal Field Artillery (TF). The new organisational structure was:

~ Brigade HQ and 1st Worcestershire Battery, based at 24 Southfield Street, Worcester

~ The 2nd Worcestershire Battery was split, being based at:

    ~ The Battery HQ and ‘Left Section’ at 47 George Street, Kidderminster,

    ~ The ‘Right Section’ at Drill Hall, Clarence Road, Malvern

~ The 3rd Worcestershire Battery was based at Easemore Road in Redditch

~ The 2nd South Midland Brigade Ammunition Column, was based at Clarence Road in Malvern

So, on the 4th of April 1908, Harry enlisted for one year in the Territorial Force, 2nd Worcester Battery, South Midland Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, (TF).

The place of Harry’s attestation and medical was Mill Street in Kidderminster. On his attestation papers he is recorded as standing five feet eight inches in height and having a 37-inch chest when fully expanded.

It’s reasonable to assume (when looking at the new structure) that Harry was attesting to serve in the ‘Left Section’ of the 2nd Battery (which at that time, would have been equipped with four 15-pounder field guns). The attestation papers explained the commitment Harry was agreeing to:

“Do you understand that you will be liable, if required, to attend the number of drills and fulfil the other conditions relating to training prescribed for the arm or branch of the service which you have elected to join, and be liable to be trained for not less than 8, or more than 15 days altogether in every year, or, if belonging to a mounted branch for not less than 8, or more than 18 days altogether in every year, as may be prescribed, and may for that purpose be called out, once or oftener, in every year”.

The papers then went on to confirm what might happen if Harry failed to meet these commitments:

“That if you, without reasonable leave or excuse, fail to attend the number of drills required to fulfil the conditions relating to training prescribed for your arm or branch of the service you render yourself liable to a fine not exceeding £5.”

Where the papers state “Signature of Yeoman or Volunteer” the title ‘Yeoman’ was struck-out. He’d clearly made the cross-over from the Imperial Yeomanry to being a volunteer in the Territorial Force.

Not picked-up on any of the Censuses at the time, Harry confirmed his occupation in 1908 as being a Groom to a Mr. Oldham of Cookley (most probably a coincidence, but Oldham was also the name of the Medical Officer and attestation witness).

The papers also confirm Harry’s religion as being “Church of England”.

At the termination of his first year, Harry re-engaged for a further 2 years. On completion of this term in 1911, he then re-engaged for a further year taking him up to 1912 – the very year that his young brother Sidney set out on the same journey that Harry had taken four years previously, by joining the same Territorial Unit to serve alongside him.

No doubt keen to keep a wary eye on his little brother, Harry then continued his service further by re-engaging for 1913, the same year that his young wife Alice tragically died. It’s not known if Alice’s passing had any influence on Harry’s decision making at the time, but Harry then re-engaged for a further two years from the 30th of March 1914.

On the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914, the bulk of Haldane’s reforms were put to the test; the Expeditionary Force was quickly sent to the Continent, whilst the Territorial Force and Reserves were mobilised – Harry was no longer a ‘part time’ soldier…

For the first eight months of service under Haldane’s new structure, Harry remained in England, training and carrying out home-defence duties.

He and his pals had just departed for their annual summer camp when war broke out in August 1914 and they were immediately recalled.

They mobilised for war service on the 5th of August 1914 and moved to concentrate in the Chelmsford area by the second week of August where they underwent war-training. This training was deemed to have proceeded so well that they were subsequently selected for overseas service on the Western Front.

Orders arrived on the 13th of March 1915 and Harry’s 2nd South Midland Brigade entrained on the 29th and the 30th of March for Southampton, from where it set sail on the troop transporters ‘City of Dunkirk’, ‘Munich’ and ‘Archimedes’.

Harry, his brother Sidney, and their pals, landed at Le Havre on the 31st of March and by the 3rd of April the division had concentrated near Cassel, where they were attached to the Regular RFA brigades of the 6th Division in the Armentières sector, for introduction to frontline procedures.

 Harry’s battery would then have been allocated a small number of shells for registering the guns. This process was absolutely vital, as explained by fellow RFA Gunner, Leslie Biggs:

“Registration had to take place… when a battery moved from one position to another, or from one front to another, in order that the Battery Commander would know exactly where he stood in relation to the enemy’s positions, his trenches and so on… to definitely register and calibrate his guns, so that the figures were known immediately if any S.O.S. was put up by the infantry, or if there was a call for a barrage. He would know exactly where to put that down because he had pre-registered it all… He knew to get to a certain line he had got to correct his guns… for deflection, elevation for range and so on.”

Then, on the 15th of April, Harry’s brigade took over its own section of front.

On the 12th of May the division was designated the 48th (South Midland) Division and on the 21st of July was re-equipped with modern 18-pounder guns. It then went back into the line near Authie in the Somme sector, where it joined a new Third Army.

In 1916 Harry’s division was in action in the Battle of the Somme, where it suffered heavy casualties when laying down fire in support of the assault on the heavily defended German position known as the Quadrilateral (or Heidenkopf).

Harry would also have seen action during the Battle of Bazentin Ridge, the capture of Ovillers (a German held strongpoint), the Battle of Pozieres Ridge, the Battle of the Ancre Heights and the Battle of Ancre.

In 1917, Harry’s division occupied Peronne during the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line and were in action throughout the Third Battle of Ypres (most often referred to as Passchendaele).

At some stage around this time Harry was wounded – however, not sufficiently badly to see him removed from the front for any period of time.

Worse was to come however; his young brother Sidney was killed in action near Ypres on August the 18th whilst fighting with ’B’ Battery of the 241st Brigade.

Once again, Harry would have been devastated by the crushing loss of a loved one...

In mid-November 1917, Harry's battalion was drawn out of the line having received orders to head south – to Italy.

They entrained on the 21st of November and a few weeks later were back in the thick of the fighting, this time against Austrian troops.

In April 1918, Harry was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal (MSM) for his completion of twelve years’ service.

Later that year, Harry was involved in yet more fighting – this time on the Asiago Plateau and then, the Battle of the Vittoria Veneto in the Val d’Assa region.

Throughout all of these actions, Harry played a vital part in ensuring the ongoing effectiveness of his battery. As Battery Quartermaster Sergeant, he was the senior NCO responsible for the battery's logistics (stores, clothing, food, water, and of great importance to his gunners, the mail from home). Throughout all of the mayhem, Harry held an extremely responsible position.

Just 24 hours after the action at the Vittoria Veneto, the war was effectively over – the Armistice came into force; by now the division had withdrawn and was at Granezza.

After having seen so much action in such a relatively short space of time, demobilisation for Harry and his lads from the battery started in early 1919. Harry was released for return back to Blighty on the 2nd of March that year…

One month later he’d passed away from septicemia resulting from a septic throat.

After all of his gallant service overseas, in some of the war’s most dreadful theatres, Harry died at home, at number 39 Stourbridge Road, Kidderminster.

Today Harry rests in peace under a memorial to his wife and himself in Kidderminster Cemetery. Unfortunately, the ravages of time have seen the cross on the memorial become detached from its base. However, the memorial still remains in reasonable order and still commemorates Harry’s tragic life in a dignified manner.

Because the cause of Harry’s death was deemed attributable to his war service, his grave is regularly tended by a CWGC Volunteer who ensures that the plot is kept tidy and that the memorial remains in a reasonable condition.

I am honoured to be that Volunteer…

Harry is also commemorated on the Great War memorial at Cookley St Peters Church. Amongst the 31 names of other Cookley men who made the ultimate sacrifice is Sidney Charles Tranter, Harry’s little-brother.

On Sidney’s CWGC headstone in Vlamertinghe Military Cemetery in Belgium, the following epitaph was inscribed at his parent’s request:

“ONE IS HERE OF BROTHERS THREE, WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES ENGLAND, FOR THEE”

Joseph died in Africa, Sidney died in Belgium and Harry died at home in England – each of them had served their country nobly and honourably…

Battery Quartermaster Sergeant Harry Tranter – your bravery will never be forgotten and your sacrifice always remembered. Rest In Peace Harry, with your darling wife Alice, together For Evermore.

Acknowledgements: The fantastic members of The Great War Forum – especially Allan1892, charlie962 and FROGSMILE...     

~ The Great War Forum @ www.greatwarforum.org  also:

~ The War Time Memories Project @ www.wartimememoriesproject.com

~ Header Image: photo of RFA field gunners showing a battery on the march with their gun limbers in column of route and the wheeler driver (on the front horse of the leading team) very evocatively and discreetly smoking a fag in the time honoured style of British soldiers everywhere!