Harold George Simmons was born on 1st July 1916 in Gravesend, Kent. His father was also Harold George Simmons, a Waterman, and his mother was Daisy (née Hinton). The first school that he attended was Holy Trinity School in Gravesend.
In 1928 Harold Simmons joined The County School for Boys – now known as Gravesend Grammar School. The Head Master at that time was the Reverend Samuel Lister. The County School for Boys was located in Darnley Road, Gravesend close to the Railway Station (now the Victoria Centre for Education). In 1938 the School moved to brand new premises in Church Walk, Milton, Gravesend opposite to Milton Church.
The School’s Admission Register lists Harold’s address as 21 Wrotham Road, Gravesend. One older brother William (born 1915) also attended the School. Harold was a member of the Old Gravesendians Association and also a member of the British Wireless Society.
In 1932 Harold left the School and went into the Merchant Navy, by 1940 he was serving as a Radio Officer on the SS Muria, a tugboat.
On 8th November 1940, the SS Muria hit a mine off North Foreland and sank, Harrold Simmons died age 24. His funeral was held at Holy Trinity Church and he is buried at Gravesend Cemetery Plot B.6. Grave 1060.

There are links below to Newspaper Clippings and Photographs from the Gravesend Grammar School Archives.
Below are links to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website and a few other websites that might be of interest:
https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2361694/simmons,-harold-george/
https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?74941
https://www.radioofficers.com/in-memoriam/in-memoriam-world-war-2-british-commonwealth-radio-officers-killed-at-sea-1939-1945/