Harold’s parents emigrated to the USA in 1884 but returned on a visit in August 1891. One month later, twin sons were born and recorded as born in Rochdale 1891. The family returned to the USA some 12 months later being there in 1900. When war was declared he determined he would fight for his country and returned to England and on arrival he enlisted in Liverpool. He was granted 6 days leave and returned to Rochdale but little knew his relatives. Trooper GS/5614 Harold Vernon Tattersall, 2ndDragoon Guards, (Queen’s Bays) part of the Household Cavalry and Cavalry of the Line including Yeomanry and Imperial Camel Corps was killed in action in France on the 10th February 1916, his body interred in Grave No D 8 Quarry Cemetery, Vermelles, Pas de Calais, France. The Rochdale Observer for 26th February also reported that “On May his uncle received a letter stating that he was shot by a sniper in France on the 10th of this month. He was a bomber and was in a sap at the time he was killed. He was first in training at Newport and went to Aldershot where he distinguished himself in inter-regimental games. He also won a middle-weight boxing tournament. In Brooklyn, USA, he was prominent in cricket and football. He was a playing member of the Manhattan Cricket Club and carried off the silver cup for bowling in league cricket some time ago. Deceased was associated with Brooklyn Baptist Tabernacle. He was a stock exchange clerk. He left a widow who resides in New York. His twin brother would have come to England to enlist in the army if his sight was not defective. In a letter to his uncle, Trooper F Dawson of the Queen’s Bays says “I need hardly say how much we shall miss our comrade. He was a genial fellow and a gallant soldier”. Trooper Dawson said “he was buried the day after his death and over his grave was put a cross which will be replaced by a permanent one with and aluminium name plate. A bottle containing his name and number was also put in the grave so that it can be identified if the cross is destroyed”. Trooper Tattersall is remembered on the Littleborough Baptist War Memorial now in Littleborough Library as well as on a memorial in the graveyard of Lumb Baptist Church on the Waterfoot to Burnley road

Miss S Smith