Bolton,+Harry


 * Harry Bolton**

(1892-1972) Joined Royal Army Medical Corp on 23-2-1915. Regimental number 565467. Served in Floriana Hospitals in Malta as a Medical Orderly until 1917 then to Thessalonika and the Selonika Front as a Stretcher Bearer attached to field ambulance..He was on the "long march " from there to Trieste through the Balkans as Medical Orderly. Discharged Feb. 1919.

Son of Joseph ( died 1900 )and Rebecca Bolton of Hill House ,Oxenhope, Harry was a woolsorter at Parkers Holme Mill in Oxenhope. He married Florence Ratcliffe in 1919 and they had two daughters. Florence served as a V.A.D.nurse mainly at Morton Banks Hospital. She and Harry were both, before the war , members of St. Johns Ambulance.

Harry was 5ft 10in. tall. Weighed 139 lbs and had a chest measurement of 38ins. He enlistment at Keighley and was medically A1 fit.

Whilst in Malta Harry taught himself French and told a story to his family of an incident during his service in Salonika where a Turkish group of soldiers surrendered to a group of British troops but the two had no common language. A French speaking soldier was requested and Harry volunteered to do the negotiations.

His service record is: Home 23 .2 .15 to 31. 7. 15 159 days En route Malta 1 .8 .15 to 7. 8 .15 7 days Malta 8. 8 .15 to 8. 7 .17 1 year and 328 days En route Salonika 2. 7 .17 to 9. 7.17 7 days Salonika 9 .7 .17 to 18. 12 .18 1year and 163 days Home 19.12. 18 to 24 .2. 19 68 days

Total service 4 years and one day.

Harry received the Victory Medal

After the war in the early 1920s a bus travelling from Hebden Bridge overturned at speed on the sharp bend just above Oxenhope church. Harry was in the fields nearby and heard the crash. Sending a friend to fetch the doctor, Harry gave first aid to the many injured and also assisted the doctor. The doctor was very impressed and told Harry that a number of the injured would have died without his prompt action. Harrys' response was that he was well trained to do it!