Harold was born in Stamford in 1893. He was one of the 5 sons of William and Elizabeth Braybrook living at 7 Stanley Street at the time of the 1911 census. He also had a sister, Mildred. His father was a railway signalman. See Francis Braybrook  for a family photograph.
He joined the 4th Battalion Lincolnshire regiment (4963) for 4 years of service in the Territorial Force in November 1915. He would initially have undergone around 3 months of basic training with the unit based at Lincoln. He was later transferred to the Royal Warwickshire Regiment (27120) and served in several Battalions going overseas as a Private in mid-1916. He was with the 2nd Battalion when he was wounded in the knee and hand on 7th Oct 1917 near Polygon Wood and was admitted to 11 Casualty Clearing Station on the 8th.
Whilst Harold was still recuperating from his injuries, the 2nd Battalion was sent to Italy so when he is fit for service he is posted to the 10th Battalion. He was serving with C Company of this unit in March 1918 when he was injured again and taken prisoner by the Germans at Bapaume on 24th March 1918.
His Red Cross record says “schussfraktur” (gunshot fracture) and “obershenkel” (thigh). His leg was amputated presumably by the Germans. He was held at Limburg camp until after the Armistice and appears on a war office list on 6th Jan 1919 as a Prisoner of War returned from Germany. He was discharged on the 9th and was awarded £8 on his return to Stamford.
He was subsequently nicknamed ‘Ladders’ in the family because of his crutches.