ISAAC CLARIDGE

Private Isaac Claridge was one of three Claridge brothers who would be killed fighting in this war. His parents lived in Chapel Street off Harewood Road, near St Paul's Anglican Church where they worshipped. Isaac Claridge had been born in 1895 and like his brothers and cousin Sydney had attended Harewood School. Prior to the war, he worked as a labourer at Watson's farm in McSaveney's Road. He had arrived in France just in time for the Battle of Flers in September 1916, and his record shows that he suffered from medical conditions common to soldiers living in the often unsanitary conditions of the trenches. In June 1917 he was withdrawn from the front line with an inflamed ear and sent to recover at Étaples. While there, he also contracted scabies. Having recovered from this, he rejoined the 1st Canterbury Battalion at the end of August. Isaac Claridge was posted missing on 12 October, and classified as presumed killed in action on 12 October by a Court of Inquiry on 22 April 1918. Like many others, he is also commemorated at Tyne Cot (see below) as well as on his parents' grave at St Paul's in Papanui and the Harewood School Memorial on Harewood Road..

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