Harrogate Herald – 4th July 1917

W H Breare letter

His Sergeant-Major announced Sergeant J W Abbott was a prisoner of war. The military authorities returned him as wounded and missing on the 3rd of May. He is a Beechwood Boy. Today (Tuesday) his mother, Mrs J F Abbott, of 26 Spring Terrace, Oatlands Mount, Harrogate, called with a letter from Abbott saying he was a prisoner in Germany. Good news, you see! A letter from him appears in another column. Pop Jewitt, another Oatlands boy, is in the next camp to Abbott, and Sergeant Wharton is in the same as Abbott.

Harrogate Herald - 25th July 1917

W H Breare letter

There was an error in the footnote attached to a letter from T W Scruton last week. There are two soldiers of the name of Abbott on active service from Oatlands Mount, and through Scruton specifying Private H Abbott, whom he was enquiring about, as Sergeant. I assumed it was Sergeant J W Abbott, of Spring Terrace, who is a prisoner. It appears it was Private H Abbott, of Mount Street, whom he meant. This soldier, I regret to say, is still missing, and if any of you boys can get to hear anything of him, his parents would greatly appreciate the information.