Harold was born in Wolverhampton on the 4 March 1894 (RN Svc. Docs have 04/03/1895) to Harry and Sarah Jane (née Griffiths) Bellingham,  with an older brother Richard (1893) and a younger sister Hilda (1896) completing the family unit.

After working as an “Engineers Turner” at a factory in Wolverhampton, he joined the Royal Navy as a Stoker Second Class on 10 July 1913 at HMS VICTORY ll in Portsmouth where he completed a 5 month new entries course. On 11 January 1914 he was drafted to HMS ABERMARLE, a “Duncan class” battleship attached to the 6th Battle Fleet, and in the same year he was rated Stoker First Class and also volunteered for the submarine service. This was granted and on 17 May 1915 he joined HMS DOLPHIN for the submarine introduction course of 2 weeks. On 31 May he was drafted to HMS MAIDSTONE based in Harwich for HMS E6 for patrols in the North Sea.

On 26 December 1915 E6 struck a mine soon after leaving Harwich for a patrol in the North Sea, while just off the Suffolk coast and was lost with all 31 of her crew members.

Stoker 1c Harold William Bellingham “Crossed The Bar” with 30 of his shipmates.