Harold Leslie Priest's memorial, High Wycombe Cemetery
Harold Leslie Priest 1898 – 1917
I was born in 1898 on the 20th September in High Wycombe, to John and Harriet Priest, and was their fourth son. I had 3 three brothers (2 of which were butchers like my father) and 1 sister alongside a servant. I was educated in Lambeth at the United Kingdom College of Clapham run by M. Hamilton Haddows. I lived at 33 Totteridge Road, in the middle of High Wycombe until I joined the Suffolk Regiment on June 20th 1916.
I was a private in the 2nd Battalion of the Suffolk Regiment and I enlisted in Oxford with my regimental number being 6355, 40850. I also trained with the 20th London rifle brigade for several months. On my birthday (Sep. 20) I was deployed to France where I fought in the battle of Arras.
I was unfortunately killed on the 18th June 1917 at the young age of 19 in Flanders, France. I have a grave at the Arras memorial, Pas de Calais, and am remembered on a memorial plaque in High Wycombe Cemetery.
The inscriptions reads:
In ever loving memory of
Harold Leslie Priest
Who was killed in action
in France
18.6.17 Aged 19
RIP
I share this plaque with my younger brother Norman Priest who died in 1993.
