AIRCRAFT MECHANIC 3rd CLASS 66571 HAROLD HIRST, ROYAL AIR FORCE, 9TH BALLOON COMPANY. DIED FROM PNEUMONIA 16th OCTOBER 1918, AGED 27 YEARS

AIRCRAFT MECHANIC 3rd CLASS 66571 HAROLD HIRST, ROYAL AIR FORCE, 9TH BALLOON COMPANY. DIED FROM PNEUMONIA 16th OCTOBER 1918, AGED 27 YEARS
On the 18th September 1918 whilst home of leave from the RAF Harold Hirst married Frances Mary Fox at Addingham Parish Church. After spending just a few days with his new bride he left Ilkley and began the long journey back to his unit which was stationed in Italy. It was while travelling that Harold contracted influenza and was admitted to hospital near to Vincenza, Northern Italy on 13th October 1918.  Sadly, his condition deteriorated and just three days later he succumbed to broncial-pneumonia. He had been married for just 25 days.

Harold was born in Thackley, a suburb of Bradford in 1892 one of 7 children of Joseph Hirst a wool merchant and his wife Mary. The family moved to Ilkley not long after Harold was born and lived in a large house on Easby Drive. Educated at Ilkley Grammar School he later worked with his father in the family business.

At the beginning of the war Harold had enlisted into the Red Cross as an ambulance driver probably serving with the French Army. In April 1917 he transferred to the Royal Flying Corps (later RAF) and served as a driver with the 9th Balloon Company in France. Balloon Companies provided large balloons that were used for spotting enemy movements and for directing artillery fire. Later the unit transferred to Italy where they were in support of the Italian Army fighting the Austrians.


Today, Harold Hirst lies in Montecchio Precalcino Communal Cemetery in Italy and is remembered with pride on our war memorial in Ilkley.

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