Possibly the “H Bloomfield” on the British Legion List but see entry below.
Harry was born on the 16th March 1882 in Ipswich, the son of Benjamin and Emma Bloomfield. Benjamin and Emma are working as Tailors and the family are living at 7 Dillwyn Street Ipswich in 1891. He had previously served in the Boer War.(1)
In 1901 Harry is working as a Labourer at a food mill – the family are still in Dillwyn Street.
He enlisted in the Army on 3rd April 1902 (2) and served in the 7th Dragoon Guards (Princess Royal’s).
He married Ada Florence Shether in Canterbury in 1904.
By 1911 the family was living at 69 White Elm Street, Ipswich. Their son Arthur (age 5) was born in Canterbury and daughter, Lily (age 2), was born in Ipswich – so their move to Ipswich occurred around 1907. Harry was employed as a labourer at an Iron Foundry (probably Ransomes).
He crossed to France with the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) on the 15th August 1914.(3)
At some point – possibly due to illness or injury – Harry was transferred to the Army Veterinary Corps (AVC).
His final transfer was to the 6th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry but again there is no clear reason or time-frame for this. The 6th Somerset’s returned to the UK in June 1918 and it was at this time that Harry was discharged (8th June 1918) from the Army due to sickness and officially classified as “No longer fit for war service”.
Harry was awarded a Silver War Badge. The birth of a son in Bramford in 1914 indicates the family moved from Ipswich about this time.
Harry died in Bramford in 1975.
(1) The picture of Harry (above) is from an entry in the Book of Bramford (2012) provided by the family and is captioned; “Harry Bloomfield in the uniform of the Royal Fusiliers c1900. He served in the Boer War and the First World War…”
(2) This date is from his Silver War Badge record. However his service number indicates that this was 1903 (https://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.com/2012/12/7th-princess-royals-dragoon-guards.html)
(3) The 7th Dragoon Guards didn’t arrive in France until October 1914. As Harry was at home in Ipswich in 1911 it is assumed that he was a reservist called up and sent to France in advance of the main unit.
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