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Harry Hoyle

CREDIT: Ken and Jan Elener
7 years old with sister, Pauline CREDIT: Ken and Jan Elener
Back of photo
Back of photo (his mother Lily added the details of hair colour and the upper body clothes he was wearing at the time of his death)

A Civilian, Harry died on 18th of November 1940 aged 10. 

Harry was born at Great Yarmouth on 23 July 1930, a son of Percy Oliver and Lily May Hoyle. In 1939 his family lived at 3 Davy Cottages, High Street, Gorleston. Harry’s maternal grandmother, Althea Sarbutt, nee James, lived at 63 Raglan Street.

It appears that Harry was visiting Lowestoft and was outside the naval base, on Battery Green Road, when he was injured in an air raid and he died the same day at the Lowestoft and North Suffolk Hospital.

Lived at

Harry Hoyle
63
Raglan Street
Lowestoft
United Kingdom

52.477364520679, 1.7490667

CountryOfService
United Kingdom
BranchService
Civilian
Burial/Memorial
Civilian War Dead
LOWESTOFT MUNICIPAL BOROUGH

Comments

KEN ELENER (not verified) Tue, 11/11/2025 - 15:56

Hi. I am married to Jan who would who would be Harry's niece had he lived. I have a photo of him with his baby sister Pauline, born 1933, currently residing in a care home. I have scanned the photograph of the pair, plus a cropped one with Harry only. I have also scanned a photo of his grave, as it was in 1979 when his mothers, Lily Hoyle, ashes were scattered on his grave.
I have also scanned the rear of the photo where Lily, we believe, described Harry's hair colour, and the clothes he wore on the day of his death. Can I forward these details for at least a photo to be added to his page. His sister, in her lucid moments, still speaks lovingly of her elder brother.

webmaster Mon, 11/17/2025 - 16:19

Anecdotal evidence from family members in 2003 was that Harry Hoyle was with his mother who was visiting the Naval base to collect her eldest serving son's wages (as mums do)  They were at or near the picket post in Whapload Road when the bombs fell without any 'alert'. One bomb fell in the road nearby and another exploded above the ground in a tree inside the RNPS base and it is thought the latter bomb had fatal consequences for Harry and injured his mother. The trail of bombs from this aircraft began in Harbour Road, Oulton Broad and finished in the minefield at N Denes. CREDIT: Bob Collis

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