Harry Stafford was born at Ketton on 28 July 1881, the son of Harry and Julia Stafford of the Green, Ketton. He became a regular soldier and fought in the Boer War. After completing his service he worked at Blackstone engineering works in Stamford. When the First World War broke out, he joined up again, in September 1914, enlisting in the Lincolnshire Regiment. George Phillips writes: "He went out to France on 9 March 1915 with the 1st Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment and took part in the desperate fighting at the Richebourg-Festubert operations in which the Lincolns met with heavy losses. They lost eight officers and two hundred and fifty-eight men in this battle, the whole brigade having over 4,500 casualties. When it is stated that the same battalions, only two months before, had been cut up so terribly at Neuve Chappelle we can but marvel at the iron nerve which enabled them once again to endure so searching a test." Harry Stafford was killed by a sniper's bullet on 16 June 1915 on the Menin Road, north of Ypres, as he was taking a message to headquarters. He has no known grave and is remembered on Panel 21 of the Menin Gate as well as on Ketton's war memorial.Two of his brothers, Jack and Mark, also fought in the war. Mark was the first Ketton man to be wounded and Harry the first to be killed.