Harold Norton Clifton was born on 7 May 1894 at 32 Ashley Gardens, Westminster, the second of the three children of William Edward Clifton (1859-1921) and Isabel Clifton née Nelson (1869-1940). He was baptised on 2 June 1894 at St Andrew's Church, Ashley Place, Westminster, where the baptismal register confirms the family address and that his father was an architect and surveyor. His siblings were: Edward Noel Clifton (1891-1984) and Isabel Tirzah Clifton (1899-1975).
A comprehensive outline of his life can be found on our Picture Source.
In late 1913 he enlisted as a Private in the 28th (County of London) Battalion, The London Regiment (Artists’ Rifles), service number 1265 and went with the battalion as a Corporal to France on 26 October 1914 where he obtained a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the 1st Battalion, Coldstream Guards on 1 January 1915.
He was serving in the battalion's No.3 Company when he was severely wounded at Cuinchy, near La Bassée, on 25 January 1915 and became a prisoner of war. He died of his wounds, aged 20 years, in a German field hospital on 1 February 1915 and was buried in Grave 56 at Billy Churchyard, Billy Berclau, near La Bassée, France. His army effects totalling £45-6s-9d were sent to his father on 2 November 1915 and on 5 August 1919 his father was sent his £5-0s-0d war gratuity. He was posthumously awarded the 1914 Star, the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal.
On 20 July 1922 his body was exhumed and reburied in Plot 12, Row B, Grave 8, in the Cabaret Rouge British Cemetery, 5000F Rue Carnot, 62153 Souchez, France.
He is commemorated as 2nd Lieutenant H. N. Clifton on the St John's Hyde Park WW1 memorial and incorrectly ranked as Lieutenant H. N. Clifton - Coldstream Guards on the St Bartholomew's WW1 memorial. He is also commemorated on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website on the Imperial War Museum's Lives of the First World War website and in the Harrow School Roll of Honour.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
