• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

Walter Harrison Pte Documents Found

A lot of men joined up thinking it would be a jolly good bash & teach those nasty Germans a lesson. I watched a recent film about Rudyard Kiplings son, who badgered his father into pulling a few strings to enable his 17 year old son, who had very bad eyesight & got him enlisted as a 2nd Lieutenant. Kiplings son was killed in action.
 


This is the full extract which explains it. This sort of comment would never have appeared in the officer's war diaries but the personal diary of Harry Drinkwater would have told it all. It's the old "carrying out orders" issue. Viv.

A DIFFICULT DECISION BEFORE CAPTAIN CLEMENTS DEATH 9th October 1917 - 10th October 1917

The 14th Batallion had been sent to reinforce the 16th and attack again the next morning. Only 1 company of perhaps 200 men had managed to reach the remnants of the 16th, which now comprised only 3 officers and "5-6 dozen men". "Quite memorable was the meeting and subsequent discussion between Sewell and the captain of the 14th Battalion [Royal Warwicks] in the pillbox. . . . . Sewell, with all the eloquence he could muster, pointed out the foolishness of again making the attack under these conditions and the 14th Battalion captain [Clement], whilst agreeing with all Sewell said, nevertheless had orders to carry out the affair. They sat there in the pillbox, both covered in mud - clothes, hands, face - the one unwilling to let his men be slaughtered, which is what it amounted to, the other unwilling to disobey orders.They both looked as if they had the responsibility of the war on their shoulders, the hour of early morningg helping to this end. At daybreak the captain went along the trench to see the position for a possible excuse consummate with his conscience and was sniped through the head.By some means this second attack was cancelled." page 254
 
viv what an awful situation to be in....thanks viv reading that makes it all seem so real

lyn
 
One can see from this how the phrase "Lions led by donkeys" originated. These were the Lions. The donkeys were living their life in comfort. Not much different to today both with regard to the army and the country
 
was chatting to phil earlier he found the documents lodged between the cavity wall of his upstairs bathroom along with the ww1 docs was also a marriage cert dated 1898...phil is hoping to get them all scanned and posted for us tomorrow...this bit is very earie...phil found the documents on the 4th of feb...exactly 101 years to the day since the death of walter:eek:

lyn
 
Thank you Viv, that does make it a lot clearer. They didn't learn much those 'donkeys' did they? Still doing it in WW2 I believe.

Very spooky Lyn, it was obviously meant to be. So glad Phil found them and that you've all managed to find out so much information.
 
thats what i thought pen...the find was meant to be...work ongoing to find any of walters living rellies....early days yet but fingers crossed

lyn
 
There are only 4 Valerie Harrisons (with no middle initial) born in Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Staffordshire between 1930 and 1950. Three were in Bham and the other in Cheadle.

Between 1960 and 1970 there were only three marriages listed for a Valerie Harrison. There first was in 1961 and was too early for any but the Valerie Harrison/Collett and that was to a David J Carnell. There's a birth for a David J Carnell registered in Bham 1940 so they would have been of a similar age.

Impossible to be anywhere near certain but according to 192.com that Valerie was living in Redditch and it appears she reverted to Valerie Harrison at some stage. There were a couple of Carnell/Harrison children registered.

You could also purchase Hilda Harrison's death certificate (if that's possible for non relatives) and see who registered her death.
 
I am still not sure what the entry I posted in #3 says before Harriet but it seems she was Walter's stepmother. His own Mother died when he was 4 and his Father remarried when he was 11. Not sure why she was next of kin and not his Father.
 
Astoness said:
thanks viv how very sad..what an awful war this was..the more i read about it the more i think that my grandad was very lucky to come back alive

lyn
Click to expand...
It was a terrible war, Lyn. Like yours, my grandad came back but with only one leg, and damage to his other. He wasn't entitled to an Army pension due to a query with his length of active service. For the rest of his days he could only get work as a night watchman (as they called it then) due to his disability. He died in his early 50's with thrombosis of the leg, leaving my gran a widow for the second time.
 
pjmburns said:
I am still not sure what the entry I posted in #3 says before Harriet but it seems she was Walter's stepmother. His own Mother died when he was 4 and his Father remarried when he was 11. Not sure why she was next of kin and not his Father.
Click to expand...

It looks like Mo before the colon and rsl afterwards. First part obvious, second no idea.

Also isn't the heading of that column 'To Whom Authorised' so wouldn't necessarily have to be next of kin. I've seen F in law listed there, though to be fair I never checked why.
 
Surely next of kin is the person stated to be so by the subject, where he has been given the opportunity to do so. For someone in the forces they would have been asked to name someone. This is likely to be a father or mother, but there is no reason why it has to be
 
pjmburns said:
I am still not sure what the entry I posted in #3 says before Harriet but it seems she was Walter's stepmother. His own Mother died when he was 4 and his Father remarried when he was 11. Not sure why she was next of kin and not his Father.
Click to expand...


janice could it be because his father had died after walter had signed up there again as mike said it could be that walter simply chose his mother as next of kin...i have noticed that a lot of soldiers put down their moms and even sisters as next of kin and it could be that if their fathers were also fighting for their country there was no guarantee that they would come back safely

lyn
 
Last edited:
According to the tree I found his Father died much later but I agree with Mike that Walter could have named anyone. It is not that important but I like to get things straight in my mind!
 
Last edited:
Is this Walter and his father lodging in Sherborne St in 1901 ? By that time Walter's father was a widower. Viv.
 

Attachments

  • image.jpeg
    image.jpeg
    181.9 KB · Views: 12
The 1911 Census tells us George was 3 years old, so born about 1908. Maybe Walter and Harriet married around 1901 - 1907. I notice one of George's middle names is "Horsley". Could this be a reference to another family member (eg maiden name. I have a lot of these in my family tree where a former maiden name is used as a middle name - not hyphenated but used as one of their forenames). Viv

Edit. George's middle name is 'Hensley'. See post #52 below.
 

Attachments

  • image.jpeg
    image.jpeg
    81.5 KB · Views: 4
Crossed posts Janice. But it all fits !

It might also be useful to know for ID purposes that Harriet's middle name was Dorcas. Viv.
 
In response to #50 Harriet's surname was Hensley which was George's 3rd name as he was George Frank Hensley Harrison!!
 
That's great Janice - couldn't read the script on the Census properly !

Walter's step-mothers birth. She was quite a bit younger than Walter's father. Viv.
 

Attachments

  • image.jpeg
    image.jpeg
    44.2 KB · Views: 5
Just found the following in the war diary of 14th battalion - exciting but frustrating as well.
3a05eded-470d-4aca-aaa0-4cb8905056da
 

Attachments

  • upload_2018-2-11_13-7-45.png
    upload_2018-2-11_13-7-45.png
    366.9 KB · Views: 14
Walter and Elizabeth were married in Stafford, wonder when he/they moved to Birmingham. Perhaps following Elzabeth's death? Was that why Walter E and his father were in lodgings in 1901 ?

Walter snr birth registration of 1867 (Stafford) tells us his mother was 'Thaw'. Viv.
 
Janice be nice to find the rest of that war diary page. Shall have a look around. Viv.
 
And he had a sister, Mary Elizabeth Harrison b1897. In 1911 she is living in Bridgnorth with Arthur and Claudia Moss. Claudia is Elizabeth's sister. In 1901 she's with her Holland grandparents.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top