He first joined the 1st Brigade, Cinque Ports, Royal
Artillery at Dover
on 16th January 1884. He was eighteen
years and six months old and was given the number 40828. He was five feet six and a quarter inches
tall and weighed 126 lbs. His complexion
is described as ruddy, his eyes grey and his hair dark brown. A vaccination mark on his knee is also noted.
On 1st February 1884 he was transferred to the 4th
Brigade and on 15th January 1886, granted Good Conduct Pay at the rate of
1d. He was promoted bombardier in
February 1889 and corporal in March 1890.
He was transferred to the Army Reserve in December 1891, having served
our years and 38 days with the Colours, and was discharged on the termination
of his first period of engagement on 14th January 1896. During his time with the artillery he spent
over six years in India ,
(12th February 1885 to 30th November 1891). During his time in India he also
passed his fourth class certificate of education (24th November 1885) and his
third class certificate (18th June 1887).
His character is noted as good and his next of kin as his father, James,
of South Common, Chailey.
On 23rd May 1900, with Britain
at war with South Africa ,
Harry Cottingham enlisted again; this time for a period of one year with the
Colours. He was now 34 years and nine
months old and working as a labourer (possibly in the Chailey brickyards). He
enlisted at Brighton with the Royal Field
Artillery and was given a new number: 10525.
He attested as a gunner but was immediately promoted to corporal on the
same day. Two days later he was posted
to the 115th Battery Royal Field Artillery, serving with this unit until his
discharge on 22nd May 1901.
Harry appears on the 1901 census as a married 35 year
old corporal stationed at the District Royal Artillery barracks at Weedon Beck,
Northamptonshire and I think he probably remained in England for the duration of his one
year’s service. He had married Laura
Martin in 1895 and the couple had two children: Dorothy Cottingham, born in
1898 and Hector Cottingham, born in 1900.
Two more children would follow later: Leslie in 1902 and Charlie in
1908.
When Britain
declared war on Germany
in 1914, Harry enlisted with the Royal Field Artillery for a third time. This time he joined the Special Reserve for
one year’s service and was given a third number: 15030. He enlisted on 14th September 1914 aged 47
years and 104 days. By now he weighed
137 lbs, a marginal increase of just 11lbs since he’d first enlisted twenty
yeas earlier.
There now began a period of service in England which
would last until his final discharge from the Royal Field Artillery in February
1920. He was posted to the 19th
(Reserve) Battery on 17th September 1914. His rank was again gunner but again he was
promoted immediately to corporal. He was
posted to 4 “A” Reserve Brigade, RFA in October 1914 and promoted to sergeant
that December. Two years later, in
December 1916, he was posted to the 20th Reserve Battery and three months
later, in March 1917, was posted back to 4 “A” Reserve Brigade, to the Remounts
Section. In October 1917 he was posted
again, this time to a Divisional Ammunition Column and then in May 1918 to the
Command Depot of the 5th Reserve Brigade, Royal Artillery Tank Corps. In March 1919, still not tired of army life,
Harry volunteered for a further one year with the colours and was finally
discharged on 28th February 1920. He was
now 53 years old and had served nineteen years with the Royal Artillery and
Royal Field Artillery.
Despite having served during both the Boer War and the
First World War, Harry received no medals from either campaign as his service
had been conducted entirely in the UK .
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