Harold TROUT

10190, Private. b. 1893, Lincoln d. Thu. 21st March 1918 (aged 25).

Possibly the greatest suffering of any one family in Clayton, the Trout’s suffered two sons lost, and their father wounded three times.

The 1911 census shows the family living in Lincoln with Thomas the father, a painter, as head of a large family. Harold is not living at home during this census as he is away working as a farm labourer aged 18.

The family moved to Clayton sometime after this.

Harold joined up with his father in August 1914. Their father was a retired soldier who went back to his native Lincolnshire Regiment when war broke out. Harold was placed in the 2nd Battalion.

Harold married Kate Annie Dobson on 24th December 1917 in St Johns Church, Clayton and returned to the family home at 12 Virginia Street before leaving for France.

Harold, like many thousands of other British troops died on the first day of the 1918 Spring Offensive. At the time he was posted in the Somme region of the front line.

Harold is commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial, Somme, France.

Harold’s medals came up for auction sale in March 2020 as part of a lot of serviceman’s medals.