Harold John Badcock was born on Tuesday, 28th February 1888 in Hemel Hempstead, the fourth son and child born to Frederick St John Badcock and Marian Sparkes. Harold had three older brothers and two younger sisters who were: Charles, Frank, Percy, Elsie and Dorothy.

When Harold was born, his family lived in the ‘School House’ at Boxmoor Junior Middle and Infants school on St. John’s Road in Boxmoor, where his father Frederick was the Head teacher.

By 1901, Harold, Percy and Elsie were all at their father’s school where their older brother Frank was also a teacher. It appears that Harold initially continued the family tradition and trained for the teaching profession when he left school however, he did not pursue this choice of career. Misfortune visited the Badcock family in 1906 when Harold’s mother Marian died aged forty-nine, leaving his father Frederick to raise the family.

Harold joined the police force, possibly in the same year that his mother died, when he reached the minimum entry age of eighteen. The police force provided a secure job at this time and although the income for a ‘Police Constable’ was low, the benefits of the job were attractive and included the provision of a pension. Recruitment was strictly selective and new entrants had to be between eighteen and twenty-seven-years old, at least 5ft 10ins tall and in good health, resulting in only one in five applicants being successful.

Harold’s initial training with the police force in Hemel Hempstead is likely to be the reason he met his future wife, Hilda Gladys Frogley, whose father Frederic was the Superintendent of Police in Hemel Hempstead for the best part of two decades between 1892 and 1918. Hilda was born on Alma Road in Hemel Hempstead but grew up in the old Police Station at the bottom of Bury Hill opposite Bury Mill. The old Police Station, now flats called ‘Century House,’ still stands today.

By 1911 Harold was a ‘Police Constable’ with Lincolnshire County Constabulary and lived at 59 Cranwell Road, Lincoln where he boarded at the home of Arthur and Rose Wesley. Also living in the Wesley home were William Welsh and Albert Platts, both recorded as ‘Professional Footballers’ playing for Lincoln City at the nearby ‘Sincil Bank’ ground. Albert Platts played twenty-nine times for Lincoln City as an ‘inside left’ between 1910 and 1913 scoring four goals.

By the time war was declared, Harold had transferred to King’s Lynn Police Force in the Norfolk Constabulary and worked as ‘Chief Clerk’. His tenure at King’s Lynn probably resulted in his decision to join the Norfolk Regiment. He applied for a commission with the 3/4th Norfolk Regiment TF on his enlistment at the Drill Hall in Norwich on the 7th July 1915 and this was approved three days later. He was Gazetted 2nd Lieutenant on the 28th July 1915 and began his training prior to going to France.

Harold was granted leave four months later and returned to Hemel Hempstead where he and Hilda were married on Tuesday, 12th October 1915 at St Paul’s Church in the town. Considered something of a ‘society’ wedding, the marriage was reported in the next edition of the Hemel Gazette.

Harold and Hilda had a brief honeymoon in Bournemouth before he returned to his regiment at Norwich. The report also mentions two of Hilda’s brothers who were absent because they were away on active service. The brothers were Arthur Leslie who served with the Royal Army Service Corps as a ‘Lorry Driver’ and Cecil Lloyd who served with the Rifle Brigade as ‘Transport Serjeant’. Both men survived the conflict and both subsequently worked for many years as ‘Chauffeurs’.

The 3/4th Norfolks was a Reserve battalion and served in the UK throughout the war, but in late 1916 Harold was posted to the 9th (Service) Battalion and went to France. He disembarked at Boulogne on the 30th September 1916 and joined the Battalion near Albert five days later on the 4th October.

The Battalion moved to Montaubin three days after Harold arrived and from here went into the front-line trenches on the 16th October relieving the 18th Infantry Brigade. The Battalion War Diary recorded the events over the next two days as follows: "17.10 Support line subjected to very heavy bombardment but suffered very few casualties. 18.10 Attack launched at 3.40 a.m. part of Mild Trench being successfully occupied. Casualties 239 O.R and the following Officers Killed 2/Lt Page T.S Wounded 2/Lt Beesley R.G.G 2/Lt Clarke J.W Capt. Rowell C.G.S 2/Lt Henshall H.H 2/Lt Cowles W.R 2/Lt Gravestock Missing 2/Lt Page J.C 2/Lt Badcock H.J."

It would be another seven months before Harold was officially confirmed dead on 25th May 1917 and just three months later his father Francis also passed away. Harold had been Killed in Action on Wednesday, 18th October 1916.

At the time of his death he had been in France for only nineteen days and tragically  died on his second day in action at the Battle of Transloy. His comrades noted that he was last seen on a ‘German parapet’ during the attack near Bapaume and was presumably killed shortly afterwards.

When his body was eventually recovered he was buried at Beaulencourt Road Cemetery just south-west of Bapaume, but this graveyard was partially destroyed and most of the soldiers buried there where re-interred at Bancourt British Ceremony about five miles away to the north-east.

He is commemorated on a memorial plaque inside St John’s Church in Boxmoor, Hemel Hempstead.

Harold is Remembered with Honour in Bancourt British Cemetery, Pas-de-Calais, France where he is interred in Grave VIII. D. 14. The inscription on his headstone, requested by his wife Hilda, reads: “FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH”.

He was 28 years old when he died.

Harold was entitled to the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal.