War Memorials Elsewhere, - Leytonstone (Greater London), - St. Andrew's Church

The War Memorial Plaques in St. Andrew's Church, Leytonstone
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Photo © Copyright John Salmon and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

In the Church of St. Andrew, Leytonstone (located at the junction of St. Andrew’s Road and Colworth Rd.), two plaques commemorate those who lost their lives in the two World Wars.
The First World War Memorial is a brass plaque that commemorates 67 men of the Parish and Congregation, and 8 men from the Choir, who lost their lives in the First World War.
Amongst the names is that of an Officer of the Yorkshire Regiment.
The Second World War Memorial is a metal plaque which carries no names.

2nd Lieutenant Harold Gibson Hornsby. 7th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Only son of Jane Hornsby, of 7, Fladgate Rd., Leytonstone, London, and younger son of the late Michael Hornsby, of Saltburn-by-the-Sea. On the Solicitor's Staff of His Majesty's Customs and Excise. Died 1 July 1916. Aged 28.
Buried FRICOURT BRITISH CEMETERY.
(Shown on the memorial as being in the 11th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment).

The following biographical details on Lieutenant Hornsby were provided by Robert Coulson in his "Biographies of Officers of the Yorkshire Regiment";-
"Harold Hornsby was born in Saltburn by the Sea in North Yorkshire in 1888, the son of the late Michael Hornsby.
He followed a legal career and joined the Solicitors Office of the Customs and Excise in London in June of 1910.
At the onset of war he enlisted as a private soldier with the Gloucestershire Regiment.
In January 1915 he transferred to the Hussars and was then gazetted with the Yorkshire Regiment at Easter 1915.
2nd Lt Hornsby joined the 7th Battalion in October 1915 at Steenvoorde and spent time in and out of the line around Hooge and the Menin Road up to Christmas of that year. He was with the battalion during the “Actions at the Bluff” to the south of Ypres in February of 1916 and in June the battalion moved south to prepare for the forthcoming Somme offensive.
2nd Lt Harold Gibson Hornsby was killed in action on July 1st 1916 at the age of 28.
Three companies of the battalion attacked the German held village of Fricourt at 2-30pm, “Officers and men were literally mown down”. Harold Hornsby was one of 15 officers killed or wounded in this action while over 330 men suffered the same fate.
His grave today lies in Fricourt British Cemetery close to where he fell and his name is remembered on the 7th Battalion's memorial also situated in the cemetery.
His mother Mrs Jane Hornsby was living at 7 Fladgate Road, Leytonstone in London."

.St. Andrew's Church, Leytonstone
Photo : Google Earth

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