Private 203225 Edward Harold Elliman

Died of Wounds on Thursday, 1st November 1917, age 31.
Buried in Grave I. G. 2. at Aire Communal Cemetery, Pas De Calais, France.

7th Bn., South Staffordshire Regiment. 33rd Brigade of 11th Division.
Formerly 4007 Staffs Yeomanry, and 3338 South Staffs Regiment.

Son of Joseph and Ann Elliman, of 25, Broad St., Coseley, Staffs.
Born: Tipton, Enlisted: Tipton, Resident: Unknown.

First landed France & Flanders, post 31st December 1915.
Medal entitlement: British War Medal, Victory Medal.
Soldier's Papers at National Archives did not survive.

Commemorated on the St. John's, and Christ Church, Coseley memorials.
Commemorated here because he appears on a Tipton memorial.

Link to Commonwealth War Graves Site: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/466954/

Genealogical Data

Birth of Edward Harold Elliman registered September quarter 1886 in Dudley.

1901 Census
46 High Street, Princes End, Tipton, Staffs.
Joseph Elliman (50, Beer House Keeper, born Dudley), his wife Ann (40, Assistant, born Sedgley), and their son Harold (14, born Sedgley).

1911 Census
Star Inn, Broad Street, Coseley, Staffs.
Harold Elliman (24, Publican, born Princes End), and his widowed mother Ann (51, Assistant, born Daisy Bank). Harold was her only surviving child.

Personal Data

After Edward's death, his outstanding army pay and allowances amounted to £9/19/1d (9 pounds, 19 shillings and 1 penny); this was shared 50/50 between his mother Ann, and his half-sister Emma L. Barnsley, in May 1918. His War Gratuity was £6/0/0d (6 pounds exactly), this was also paid to his mother Ann in November 1919. The value of the War Gratuity suggests that Edward had enlisted in June 1916.

Action resulting in his death

After their costly involvement in the Battle of Poelcapelle on 4th October 1917, the 7th South Staffs were withdrawn to La Commune to rest, refit and train. The War Diary shows that the 7th South Staffs returned to the front at Noeux-les-Mines on 21st October, relieving the 11th Durham Light Infantry in Reserve. On the next day they relieved the 11th Essex on the left of the Brigade front, and the Diary shows that on the 23rd October "Patrols went out again last night to obtain details of enemy's wire." Two men are shown as wounded on that day, possibly in this patrol, one of them was 203325 Elliman H.

Harold was evacuated back to Aire, where the Highland Casualty Clearing Station and 39th Stationary Hospital were located. However he died a week later, on 1st November, and is buried in Aire Communal Cemetery.

Newspaper Cuttings

None.