Person    | Male  Born 7/5/1894  Died 1/2/1915

Second Lieutenant Harold Norton Clifton

Categories: Armed Forces

Countries: France

War dead, WW1 i

Commemorated on a memorial as having died in WW1.

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.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Second Lieutenant Harold Norton Clifton

Commemorated ati

St Bartholomew's WW1 memorial

{On a metal frieze, probably brass, a quote from John 10:10.} "That they mig...

Read More

St John's Hyde Park WW1 Memorial

1914 - 1919 To the glory of God and in grateful memory of the men who, by Go...

Read More

Other Subjects

General Sir James Outram

General Sir James Outram

Hero of the Indian Rebellion during which he relieved the siege of Lucknow.

Person, Armed Forces, India

1 memorial
6th Battalion, Grenadier Guards

6th Battalion, Grenadier Guards

The 6th Battalion, Grenadier Guards, was raised in 1941 in Caterham, Surrey. In June 1942 it set sail from Liverpool to Syria where it became part of 201st Guards Brigade. It had to guard the borde...

Group, Armed Forces, Africa, Italy, Syria

1 memorial
J. Jones

J. Jones

Co-partner or employee of the South Suburban Gas Company. Served but did not die in WW1.

Person, Armed Forces

War served, WW1
1 memorial
Fredk. Ward

Fredk. Ward

Resident of the Central Ward, Hendon who served and died in WW1.

Person, Armed Forces

War dead, WW1
1 memorial
W. H. Whitaker

W. H. Whitaker

Student of Trinity College of Music, killed in WW1.

Person, Armed Forces, Music / songs

War dead, WW1
1 memorial