Harry was born in April 1893 was a domestic groom by trade and had lived in Christleton all his life. He stood at 5’ 7” and was the third of seven children to William and Mary Anne Tushingham. Mary Anne was the postmistress at Vicars Cross Post Office (now Barn House Surgery). His siblings living in 1911 were James Arthur a postman, Jessie & Alex Victor

He had previously served with the Denbighshire Yeomanry as a territorial cavalry soldier, before transferring on 9th September 1914 to the 3rd Reserve battalion of the Cheshires. He spent the first two years of the war at home before being sent to France on 22nd September 1916 to serves with the 1st Cheshires. The battalion diary says that a draft of 100 men was received on 5th October and Harry was one of these. These were to replace some of the terrible losses on the Somme battlefields. By May 1917 the Cheshire’s had moved about 20 miles north to the Arras sector. Although the Somme is always remembered for the terrible numbers of casualties and injured, on the numbers of casualties per day basis, Arras was worse and much forgotten about. The battalion was in the support trenches on the 9th/10th May 1917 at Arleux, which is roughly half way between Arras and Cambrai.

The following is recorded “At 7pm enemy opened at heavy barrage but did not leave his trenches. Casualties were, other ranks 5 killed, 23 wounded and 2 gassed. Officer J S D Connolly was wounded. The same thing had happened the day before and would happen the day after. It was just Harry’s turn. Harry has no known grave, although enquiries were made by his father after the war to try and find it. He is remembered on the Arras memorial to the missing together with another 34,781 men.

Story; Cheshire Observer June 16th 1917