Name
Charles Harrowell
22 Sep 1895
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
19/04/1915
19
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
14280
Bedfordshire Regiment
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL
Panel 31 and 33.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
Tring Town Memorial, St Peter & St Paul Church Roll of Honour, Tring
Pre War
Charles Harrowell was born on 22 Sept 1895 in Tring, Herts, the son of Eli Harrowell and Elizabeth (nee Stilton) and one of eight children, although one died in infancy. He was baptised on 23 Feb 1908 in Tring.
On the 1901 Census the family of parents, George (born 1884, carpenter’s apprentice), James (born 1885, bricklayer’s apprentice), Ellen (born 1889), Annie (born 1891), Charles, Elizabeth (born1898), Frank (born 1900), were living at 17 Langdon Street, Tring, where his father was working as a bricklayer.
The family remained at the same address in 1911, at which time Charles was working as a porter for the London and North West Railway Company. He later worked as a clerk for the company. James was a bricklayer as was his father and Elizabeth or Elba was a domestic servant and Frank was at school.
Wartime Service
Charles enlisted in the Bedfordshire Regiment as Private 14280 and went to France on 2 Feb 1915to join the 1st Battalion at Ypres. No Service Record was found for Charles. He was reported killed in action on 19 Apr 1915. His remains were not recovered and he is remembered on The Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres.
This extract is from the 1st Bedfordshire Regiment War Diary [Note] for April 1915: [The Battle of Hill 60]:
“17 Apr: Headquarters 13th Inf. Bde arrived & took over command of sector. R. W. Kent Regt. & K. O. S. B. arrived & went into dugouts & part of front trench. 2 companies of Bedfords withdrawn into support to make room for 13th Bde. 7 pm. precisely, 6 mines under Hill 60 exploded in 3 groups of two each. Heavy Artillery bombardment commenced, & Hill 60 rushed by British (R.W.K).
18 Apr: Enemy counterattacked during early morning. Casualties considerable. 2 Companies Bedfords recalled in afternoon & counter attack on Hill 60 (part of which had been lost by 13th Bde) commenced at 6 pm. Line re-established on Hill 60. G.O.C. 13th Bde. handed over immediate control of sector to Lt. Colonel Griffith D.S.O. (Bedf. Regt.) & withdrew with staff to point about a mile in rear.
19 Apr: Front line occupied in early morning by Bedfords & 1/East Surrey Regt. Work carried out under difficulties to consolidate position on Hill 60. Considerable shelling and bombing by enemy.”
20 Apr: Enemy counter attacked: tremendous bombardment carried out against Hill 60, & our trenches & supports. Enemy’s heavy guns enfiladed [Note] position, other guns firing from various directions: bombardment all night.
This from the Bucks Herald 8th May 1915: “Another Tring lad has given his life for King and country. Private Charles Harrowell, son of Mr. Eli Harrowell, of Langdon-street, Tring, was drafted into the 1st Bedfordshire Regiment, and went out with the Expeditionary Force in February this year. He was in the fighting at La Bassee, where he had a narrow escape. He was buried in the earth by the explosion of a German shell, and had his to coat blown to pieces. He, however, escaped uninjured. On April 19th he was killed in action, most probably in one of the historic battles which ranged round Hill 60, though the official intimation of his death which his parents have received gives no information on this point. Private Harrowell was only 19, and before joining the Army was engaged as a relief clerk on the L. and N.-W. Railway, where his prospects of promotion were excellent. A bright, cheerful young fellow, he was extremely popular with all who knew him. Great sympathy is felt for his parents. His mother is prostrated by the sad news.”
Additional Information
His mother received a war gratuity of £3 and pay owing of £5 9s 9d. She also received a pension of 5s a week.
Brother to James Harrowell who served with the King's Royal Rifle Corps and was killed in action on 22 Octr 1917. He is named on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium and both are named on the Tring War Memorial and St Peter and St Paul's Church Roll of Honour,
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer, Neil Cooper
Jonty Wild
