Harold ALLSEBROOK (1889-1973)

Harold Allsebrook (1889-1973) was the half-brother of William Carmont Allsebrook, the Vicar of Badsey, Aldington and Wickhamford.

Harold was born at Birkenhead in 1889, the only son of William Allsebrook by his second wife, Janet Stewart.  In 1891 Harold was living with his parents at Formby, Lancashire.  His father died on 2^nd March 1901.  Four weeks later, Harold was recorded on the census as living with his widowed mother, Janet, and maiden aunt, Margaret Stewart, at 30 Lancaster Road, Ainsdale, Southport, Lancashire.  Six weeks later, his mother was dead, too.

What happened to the young Harold immediately after the death of both parents is not known but, by 1905, he had begun a career in banking in Stratford upon Avon.  It is probable that he came to live in Badsey where his older half-brother, William, had become Vicar in 1903.  Entries in the parish magazine reveal that Harold was certainly living in the village by 1910 and, at the time of the 1911 census, he was recorded as living at Badsey Vicarage.

On the outbreak of war, Harold joined the Royal Warwickshire Regiment.  He sailed from Avonmouth on 24^th June 1915 with the 9^th Battalion and landed at Suvla Bay, Gallipoli, in August 1915. On 20^th September 1915 he was gazetted as a temporary Lieutenant.

In January 1916 the Battalion went to Mudros on the Greek island of Lemnos, which was where Cyril Sladden came across him as he wrote in letters of 12^th and 16^th January.  They then ran into each other again in Basra in early March, and later in the month when they had reached their destination.  In a postcard of 6^th April 1916 to his mother, Cyril reports having seen Harold with a painful bullet wound in his thigh which he had got in the previous day’s battle.

After some time in hospital overseas, Harold was sent home to England; Mela Brown Constable reports in a letter of 6^th July that he had arrived at Badsey Vicarage the previous day.  A letter of 18^th September 1916 from Mela reveals that Harold’s Board was to come off in October.  She speculated whether he would go back to the 9^th Warwickshires.  It is not known whether he did in 1916 but, according to his Medal Card, Harold ended his war-time career with the Royal Flying Corps.

After the war, Harold returned to banking in Leamington, Welshpool, Shrewsbury and Bridgnorth.  A report in the Leamington Spa Courier of 25^th February 1938 reveals that Major Harold Allsebrook would be taking up an appointment as manager of Lloyds Bank, Warwick, in April.

In 1924, Harold had married Evelyn Mary Winckley.  They had three daughters:  Ruth M (1926), Susan J (1929) and Rachel E (1930).

Harold retained his army connections after the First World War.  He became second in command of the 4^th Battalion Royal Welch Fusiliers (TA) and also a member of Denbighshire County Territorial Association.  During the Second World War he rose to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel.

Harold died at Cobham, Surrey, in 1973; his wife died two years later.