Harry Freer

Lizzie Freer (Pinder)

Born on 12th June 1883 Harry was the son of George & Henrietta Freer of South Cave. His mother died shortly after he was born and his father remarried. According to the 1901 census 17 year old Harry was living with his grandmother Elizabeth Freer at 110 Market Place, South Cave. Elizabeth was partially blind and was on Parochial Relief, Harry was working as a carter on a farm. Harry is not recorded in the 1911 census but it is possible that he was living and working on a farm in Ellerker. He married Lizzie Pinder of South Cave and they had two children, Alice and George.

At St Anne’s Church Ellerker

Harry originally joined the East Yorkshire Regiment (Service no. 38189) but later transferred to the 2/4th Battalion King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (Service no. 35972) and it was whilst serving as a Private with them that he was killed in the Battle of Cambrai on 27th November 1917 when he would have been 33 years old.

Harry’s body was never recovered so he has no known grave but his name is on panel 8 of the Roll of Honour on the Cambrai Memorial at Louverval on the Bapaume to Cambrai road in Northern France. He was awarded the British War Medal & the Victory Medal.

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