Lost High School Soldier - Newly found

Harold Thorne Speares is a High School past pupil who, we have just discovered, died in The Great War.  For some unknown reason, his name was not recorded on the High School WWI Memorial.  We were contacted by a member of the Orders and Medals Research Society, who purchased Harold's next of kin Memorial Plaque at an antique fare and did some research on the soldier it commemorated. Lucky for us, the researcher, Mr Gary Whitley, found our War Stories website and got in touch.

Harold was only 20 years old only when he died in 1917, during the 3rd Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele), a native of Rathdrum, County Wicklow.  He has no known grave, nor, as stated previously, is he commemorated on the School Great War Memorial.  We will now redress this situation and Harold's name will be added to our records and our school War Memorial. He is forgotten no more.
Ms. Michelle Burrowes.

Information: 

Sec. Lieut. Harold Thorne Speares, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, was the youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. Speares, Glebe View, Rathdrum, Co. Wicklow. He volunteered early in 1915, and after nine months' service in France as a private in the Royal Fusiliers, he was severely wounded at St. Eloi whilst at his post as a sniper. He was recommended for a commission, and was gazetted in September, 1916. He went out again on 1st August, 1917. and was killed in action on the 16th, being in his 20th year, having courageously volunteered to take the place of another officer who was injured.

Date of Publication: 

Friday, December 28, 1917

From 'Our Heroes'