Harold Lunt was born on the 12th May 1920 at Burslem Staffordshire. He was the son of John Alfred Lunt born on 3rd November 1888 Silverdale, Newcastle, Staffordshire  and Ethel Nee Daniels  born Burslem, Staffordshire in 1896. 

John Alfred and Ethel Daniels married in July 1919, Harold was their only child. 

On the 1921 Census Harold is shown as a 1 year old living at 3 Masseys Square with his mother Ethel, she is named as employed in home duties and his father’s details are entered but crossed out. 

It is evident the reason for this is that he is also shown on the 1921 Census as a serving soldier, a Private with the North Staffordshire Regiment at Brocton Camp, Staffordshire, most likely a territorial soldier. He had served during WW1, initially signing up on the 20th August 1914 at Burslem with the 7th Battalion North Staffordshire Regiment  his address at that time was 146 Hamil Road Burslem but was soon found to be physically unfit and assessed as unlikely to make an efficient soldier, he was discharged under paragraph 392 of Kings Regulations on the 5th October 1914. In December 1914 we can see that he again enlisted, with the Royal Field Artillery under service number 313392 as a Gunner rank but was transferred to the Labour Corps under service number 411849. On the 9th December 1917 He was transferred to the Hospital ship Grantully Castle deemed permanently unfit due to chronic Otis Media He was eventually discharged on the 21st March 1918. His service records show 16 King Street Burslem and 113 Macclesfield Street as his address, he received a pension from 22.03.1918 

For his service he was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal. 

The 1939 Census shows Harold aged 20 working as a bricklayers labourer living at 76 Macclesfield Street, Burslem with his father  John Alfred Lunt aged  51 yrs old working as a Boiler Fireman, his mother Ethel had died in the last quarter of 1937. Interestingly his record is annotated that he was a member of the British Red Cross and the photograph of him in the Royal Doulton Bulletin he appears to be wearing a Scout uniform.  

Harold enlisted at Uxbridge; he joined between September 1939 and June 1940 

Appointed as a Class F Reservist .  We know he was part of 98 Squadron RAF who were sent to France in April 1940. They were a training squadron and did not take part in any enemy engagement. Under threat of the quick German advance and the rescue of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk the squadron was rescued from St Nazaire. 

On 17/06/1940 the RMS Lancastria was bombed and sunk in St Nazaire while taking part in Operation Ariel, the evacuation of British nationals and troops from France two weeks after the Dunkirk evacuation. Harold is one of the ninety six members from 98 squadron. 

Harold was never found, his father posted a memorial in the Sentinel newspaper Tuesday 17th June 1947 “ He lies where he fell in battle far away from me and  I cannot plant his grave with flowers, In Memory Remembered by his dad. 

Harold is remembered on the Runnymede RAF Memorial. 

Harold is remembered also on the Royal Doulton Memorial, Burslem and his service entitled him to the 1939-45 Star, Air Crew Europe and War Medal. 

Harold's father John died on the 18th March 1958 aged 70. The Sentinel Newspaper published his obituary “beloved husband of the late Ethel Lunt (late of Macclesfield St Burslem) Funeral from 11 Orion St Smallthorne , service in St Saviours church, Smallthorne at 11am”. 

Probate reads John Alfred Lunt of 11 Orion Street Smallthorne Stoke on Trent to William Salmon colour mixer and May Salmon ( wife of the said William Salmon ) effects £1001. 8s. 

Sources: 

• John Alfred Lunt Birth: FreeBMD. England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.
• Ethel Daniels birth: FreeBMD. England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.
• Service records J.A Lunt: The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; War Office: Soldiers' Documents from Pension Claims, First World War (Microfilm Copies and Medical Cards); Reference: WO364; Piece: 2176
• Parent marriage: General Register Office; United Kingdom; Volume: 6b; Page: 349
• Harold Lunt Birth: General Register Office; United Kingdom; Reference: Volume 6b, Page 318
• Harold Lunt :1921 census: The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; 1921 Census Returns; Reference: RG 15/12636, ED 22, Sch 88; Book: 12636
• J. A Lunt 1921 census: The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; 1921 Census Returns; Reference: RG 15/12514, ED 43, Sch; Book: 12514
• Ethel Lunt death: General Register Office; United Kingdom; Volume: 6d; Page: 131
• Harold Lunt 1939 register : The National Archives; Kew, London, England; 1939 Register; Reference: RG 101/5282E
• Commonwealth War Graves Commission; Author: Peter Singlehurst; Series Title: British Commonwealth War Graves Registers, 1914-1918; Archive Name: London, United Kingdom
• Naval and Miltiary Press; Uckfield, East Sussex, England; Airmen Died in the Second World War 1939-45
• Bomber Command Operational Losses in the European Theatre of War covering both Aircraft and Aircrew 1939-1945. 
• Forces War Records, UK, Royal Air Force Nominal Index of Airmen and Airwomen, 1918-1945 (https://uk.forceswarrecords.com/publication/1257/uk-royal-air-force-nominal-index-of-airmen-and-airwomen-1918-1945 : accessed 5 Nov 2025), database and images, https://uk.forceswarrecords.com/publication/1257/uk-royal-air-force-nominal-index-of-airmen-and-airwomen-1918-1945 
• International Bomber Command Centre; Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England; Losses Database: Https://Internationalbcc.Co.Uk/History-Archive/Losses-Database/
• Aircraftman 2Nd Class Harold Lunt | War Casualty Details 1079033 | CWGC
• John A Lunt Obituary: Evening Sentinel; Publication Date: 20 Mar 1958; Publication Place: Stoke-On-Trent, Staffordshire, England; URL: https://www.newspapers.com/image/868124399/?article=10c92ae4-3c39-4840-860f-08e94aa869f3&focus=0.65956265,0.34783342,0.761771,0.3826289&xid=3355 
• J.A Lunt Probate: Principal Probate Registry; London, England; Calendar of the Grants of Probate and Letters of Administration made in the Probate Registries of the High Court of Justice in England.