Harold Wherry was the third of six children of Frederick (Fred) Wherry, a timber yard labourer, and his wife Alice Maud Mary (Maud) (née Ruby), and was born at Plymouth.  Although his claimed date of birth on joining the Royal Navy was 25 May 1895, his actual date of birth from school and census records was 27 July 1897.

He joined the Royal Navy as a Stoker 2nd Class on 5 August 1913 at Devonport, giving his previous occupation as ‘butcher’s labourer’, and a full two years under the minimum age to be a Stoker. He was drafted to the scout cruiser HMS SKIRMISHER on 7 February 1914 and was rated Stoker 1st Class in September 1914.  He remained in SKIRMISHER until 18 January 1916 when he joined the submarine depot ship HMS DOLPHIN. There is no indication that he actually served in submarines during his brief time with DOLPHIN.

Harold Wherry died on 6 March 1916 at RN Hospital Haslar from a peritonsillar abscess.  He is buried at Plymouth (Ford Park) Cemetery.

Of interest, his older brother, Frederick John Henry Wherry, also served in the RN, also having claimed to be a year older than he really was on joining.  As an Acting Stoker Petty Officer in HMS TIGER at the Battle of Jutland, he earned the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal and early promotion to Chief Stoker for his actions in flooding magazines and damage control.