Henry John Allison

Stoker - Service No.SS110906

(later, Leading Stoker - Service No.K55378) - Royal Navy

Henry John, sometimes John Henry but mainly just Harry, Allison, the son of John Allison and his wife Alice Amelia (Chapman), was born 4th April 1893 in Lyng, Norfolk. He was the eldest of ten children, Raymond (1894), Clifford (1896), Mabel (1898), Rose (1899), Audrey (1901), John (1904), Frank (1907), Ernest (1908) and Alice (1913). Raymond and Rose both died in early 1900 at the ages of 5 years and just 3 months respectively. John and Alice had married in Lyng, Norfolk in 1891 and lived there for a few years before moving to Mulbarton in 1894, finally settling in Swardeston around 1897.

In September 1927 Harry married Kate Elizabeth Beckett (Buxton), the widow of Cecil Beckett, in Norwich, Norfolk. Kate, known as Kitty, was born in late 1891 at Swardeston, Norfolk, the daughter of Charles Buxton and his wife Matilda (Banthorpe) and had married Cecil Edward Beckett in 1913, at Swardeston. Cecil and Kate's son Stanley was born in February 1914 and Cecil enlisted as a Sapper in the Royal Engineers the next year. Cecil died of his wounds in No.8 General Hospital in Normandy, France, on 27th August 1916. The couple's daughter, Cecily, was born in early 1917 in Swardeston some six months after her father's death. Tragically Stanley died in Swardeston in 1921, at the age of 7, and Cecily, also at Swardeston, just two years later, at the age of 6. Harry died in 1977 and Kate in 1985, They had no children.

Harry worked as a farm labourer after leaving school in Swardeston but decided to join the Royal Navy, on 3rd May 1911, as a stoker (SS110906). His navy service records survive and we know he signed up for 5 years naval service followed by 7 years on reserve but all was changed due to the outbreak of war in 1914. Having completed the five years service initially enlisted for Harry was promoted to leading stoker in July 1916 and continued to serve until 1919 when he was paid his war gratuity and transferred to K55378 and continued in the navy until 30th December 1927. He was awarded a Long Service and Good Conduct Medal on 10th September 1926.

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