Harold Hagger was Chelmsford born and bred. He was killed in action in March 1917. His family home was in Victoria Crescent. A brother was also killed during the war.
HAGGER, HAROLD,
Rifleman, 1/9th Battalion, London Regiment (Queen Victoria's Rifles) (formerly of Essex Regiment
Harold lived in Chelmsford, enlisted at Peterborough, and initially served as Private 3366 in the Essex Regiment. Harold’s brother, Charles Robert Hagger, was killed in action on 26th May 1915.
Harold was born in Chelmsford in 1897, the son of Walter Frederick Hagger and Sophia Hagger (nee Brown). He was christened at St Mary’s Church, Chelmsford (today’s Cathedral) on 3rd February 1898. At the time Harold’s father was a labourer of Coval Lane.
His father had been born in 1855 in Broomfield; his mother in 1855 in Springfield.
They had married on 7th September 1884 at All Saints’ Church, Springfield. At that time Harold’s father was aged 29, a labourer of Springfield, and the son of Alfred Hagger, a carter. Harold’s mother was aged 28, of Springfield, the daughter of Frederick Brown, also a carter. in 1891 they had been resident in Coval Road, Chelmsford.
Harold’s siblings were Frederick Walter Hagger (born on 19th August 1885 in Springfield and christened at Holy Trinity Church in Springfield on 27th September 1886, died in 1964), Maud Sophia Hagger (born on 14th March 1887 in Springfield and christened at Holy Trinity Church in Springfield on 5th June 1887, died in 1968), Charles Robert Hagger (born in 1889 in Chelmsford, died in 1915), Percy Hagger (born in 1891 in Chelmsford, died in 1968) and Jessie Ada Hagger (born in 1894 in Chelmsford).
The 1901 census found three year old Harold living with his parents and four siblings at Coval Road. At the time his father was a jobbing labourer, and his brother Charles was an errand boy.
The 1911 census found Harold’s parents and three siblings living at 19 Victoria Crescent in Chelmsford. His father was a general labourer; brother Frederick a tailor; sister Maud a housemaid; and brother Percy a butcher. Harold, aged 13, was still at school. His’ father died in 1913.
Harold was killed in action on 24th March 1917 while serving as Rifleman 393007 in the 1/9th Battalion of the London Regiment (Queen Victoria's Rifles). He was aged 19.
Harold has no known grave and is commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Arras, France, on the Civic Centre Memorial, Chelmsford, and by the Chelmsford Parish Great War Memorial in Chelmsford Cathedral. He was entitled to the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
The 1918 register of electors listed Charles’ brother Percy and his widowed mother at 19 Victoria Crescent. She died in 1929.
Harold’s niece, Phyllis Eva Hagger, was married to Leonard Charles Bailey who was killed in an air raid on Chelmsford in 1944.
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