George Valentine Harding, known in the village as Val, as his father was also called George, was born in 1889.
George Snr was a carpenter who worked for the Eydon Hall estate and Val’s mother, Mary Jane, nee King, came from Blakesley. His parents had eight children, three of whom did not survive infancy. Val became a blacksmith and was still living with his parents in Eydon at the time of the 1911 census.
He was recorded as serving in the Army on the 1915 Rolls of Honour (KL103, DK101), listed as serving in the Northants Infantry.
A Certificate of Thanks, (KL367) given to him by the people of Eydon after the war, showed he attained the rank of Sargeant Farrier and therefore would have been mounted, as shown here. Sergeant Harding kept a diary through WW1, which throws light on his service during the Great War.
 
Photographer: Unknown Professional
Image lent by : Mrs Hazel Jarvis
Connected Photos: DK101 | KL103 | KL366 | KL367 | KL368