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7772 2nd Battalion, Norfolk Regiment
Harry King was born in Ballingdon, Sudbury around 1888 and was the second son and one of six children of Edward and Eliza Victoria King. His father was an assistant brewer and the family lived at 68 Ballingdon Street.
Harry had enlisted in Colchester to serve as a regular soldier with the Norfolk Regiment and in August 1914 he was stationed in Belgaum in India. His battalion formed part of 18th (Belgaum) Brigade, 6th (Poona) Division of the British Indian Army.
On 6 November 1914 the battalion sailed from Bombay bound for the Persian Gulf onboard SS Elephanta, which was used as a transport ship for the Indian Expeditionary Force. The troops disembarked at Sanyah on 15 November 1914 and two days later began the march to Basra.
In 1916 the Turks pursued the retreating Division to Kut-al-Amara, surrounding and cutting it off. Allied troops were sent to relieve the town but although they got close they failed to break through and the garrison town surrendered on 29 April 1916. Harry was one of those captured by the Turks. On 28 June 1916 The Suffolk and Essex Free Press reported ‘H. King 7772 Norfolk Regt. (Sudbury’) as ‘captured in Kut’. (Iraq).
Harry died on 2 February 1917 and lies buried in Baghdad (North Gate) War Cemetery, Iraq.
He was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
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