Notes
The Bradford Grammar School website (see References) states: 'Harold and his elder brother Arthur were the two children of John Thomas Windle, from Burnley, and Mary Osyth nee Turner, from Preston. They married shortly after John qualified from Aberdeen as a medical doctor. He established his practice at Ovenden, near Halifax, where both sons were born, and where he remained until his death in 1902. However, Mary died in 1888, leaving John with two young sons to bring up. In 1891 he married his second wife, Jane Elizabeth Burnet, from Poulton in Lancashire. They had no children of their own.
Both boys attended Bradford Grammar School in the later 1890s, Harold from 1896 until July 1899, from the ages of nine to twelve. His elder brother stayed on a further year. Harold did well in Latin and French, while Arthur was a talented artist. The journey to school cannot have been an easy one, unless the brothers were in lodgings in Bradford. By April 1901 the brothers were boarding at St. Olave’s School in York, which at this time was merging with St. Peter’s. What happened when their father died is unknown, although he was a wealthy man leaving close to £4000 to his widow, nor what the boys did after school. At some point Harold served in the volunteers for a year, with the medical corps (R.A.M.C.), while Arthur qualified as a solicitor. The brothers only reappear in the records in 1914, by which time they had emigrated to New Zealand’s North Island: Arthur was a solicitor for the Whanganui School Board, whereas Harold was a farm hand at Awahuri, near Palmerston North.
Harold enlisted a fortnight after war was declared in August 1914, joining the New Zealand Engineers. His height was 5’ 51/2 ”, his weight 10st 4lbs, and his physical development was good. He had blue eyes and light brown hair. In May 1915 he embarked for Gallipoli where he served with the Engineers’ Field Troop until the end of the year. In March 1916, the Field Troop became the nucleus of the 3rd Field Company, their numbers being made up with men from the disbanded Otago Mounted Rifles who had arrived from Gallipoli. By chance, this was the unit his elder brother had enlisted in a week after Harold volunteered. They both accompanied the New Zealand Division to the Western Front. During 1916, Harold was promoted to Second Corporal, a rank he relinquished preferring the lower rank of Lance Corporal. The only blemish on his disciplinary record was when he was absent for a few hours one night in Egypt.
Initially the New Zealand Division were sent to the Armentieres sector in France. In early September the Engineers were sent to prepare for the arrival of the New Zealand Division at the Somme, where they were to participate in the attack planned for the 15th. They repaired the road from Mametz to Montauban, dug two new communication trenches each some
4000 yards long right up to the front line, and prepared assembly trenches. This work was done in continuous wet weather and under German shell-fire. On 13th September, 3rd Field Company was in reserve at Fricourt and Windle’s service record does not give the circumstances of his death. In his paybook will he left his money to his step-mother in
England, and his possessions in New Zealand to his brother. He was buried in Quarry Cemetery Montauban. Arthur survived the war and returned to New Zealand, where he married.'