Peterborough & The Great War

Biography

Harold George Oven was born in Fulford, York in 1894, but grew up in Derby and then Rotherham.  In 1901, he was attending Peartree Mixed School and was living with his grandparents in St Thomas Road, Derby with his mother, Mary, and siblings, William (7) and Ethel (1).  We have not yet traced his father at this time.  By 1911, the family were living in Radcliffe Street, Rotherham.  His father William, and brothers William Benjamin and Harold all worked in a steel foundry, Harold was a fitter and turner which may be why he served as a Royal Engineer (RE).

Passing through Peterborough, possibly on his way to or from Flixton, Bungay, he drew a cartoon captioned ‘A lad from Sheffield’.  Harold joined the Signal Section of the RE and was attached to the 187^th Infantry Brigade and later returned to serve in the RE.

Harold was living in Wellingborough when he married Sarah M A White in the December quarter 1921 and their son Terence was born in December 1922.  In 1939 Harold was living in Essex Street, Rugby with presumably his second wife Margaret and their son.  He was a millwright and maintenance man.

We have been unable to trace Harold’s death.  Please get in touch if you can tell us more about Harold.