stephen p nunn Posted 11 July , 2011 Share Posted 11 July , 2011 Dear all, A friend is researching his grandfather, L/Cpl 553 Harry McGREVY of the Northumberland Fusiliers. Harry was apparently one of the British Expeditionary Force (the Old Contemptibles) who landed at Le Harve on 9th August 1914. His regiment marched 200 miles south in France before engaging the Germans. Fierce fighting forced them to retreat, fighting all the way until they reached the river Aisne. On Sunday 14th September 1914 Harry was killed in action at the Battle of the River Aisne (first battle of the Aisne). His grave is unknown. In 1998, my friend took his late mother then aged 86 to visit what they believed to be his grave. My friend visited Alnwick Castle in Northumberland the H. Q. of the now disbanded Fusiliers but there is no record of his grandfather. Does anybody have anything they can add further on this soldier and his life and service please? Thank you very much. SPN Maldon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ss002d6252 Posted 11 July , 2011 Share Posted 11 July , 2011 The 1st were a regular battalion so with a low service number like 553 I would suspect he had either been a serving soldier for quite a few years or he had served his time and was called back from his reserve obligations. (The caution on this point may be that, I believe, the numbers were re-issued to new men after a certain length of time of not being used) Name: McGREVY, HARRY Initials: H Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Lance Corporal Regiment/Service: Northumberland Fusiliers Unit Text: 1st Bn. Age: 30 Date of Death: 14/09/1914 Service No: 553 Additional information: Son of Henry McGrevy and the late Margaret McGrevy; husband of Ruth McGrevy, of 94, Milling St., Teams, Gateshead, Co. Durham. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Memorial: LA FERTE-SOUS-JOUARRE MEMORIAL Name: Harry Mcgrevy Birth Place: Newcastle-On-Tyne Death Date: 14 Sep 1914 Death Location: France & Flanders Enlistment Location: Newcastle-On-Tyne Rank: L/Corporal Regiment: Northumberland Fusiliers Battalion: 1st Battalion Number: 553 Type of Casualty: Died Theatre of War: Western European Theatre Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinBattle Posted 11 July , 2011 Share Posted 11 July , 2011 A bit more unpleasant news for you, Maldon..... His brother....... Name: McGREVY, ARTHUR. Rank: Lance Serjeant Regiment/Service: East Yorkshire Regiment. Unit Text: "C" Coy. 2nd Bn. Age: 24. Date of Death: 04/10/1915. Service No: 9390 Additional information: Son of Henry and Margaret McGrevy, of 48, Sarak St., Newcastle-on-Tyne. Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 40 and 41. Memorial: LOOS MEMORIAL and perhaps another? Name: McGREVY, JAMES. Rank: Corporal Regiment/Service: Northumberland Fusiliers. Unit Text: 25th (Tyneside Irish) Bn. Date of Death: 28/04/1917. Service No: 25/1175 Grave/Memorial Reference: Bay 2 and 3. Memorial: ARRAS MEMORIAL Don't know if this is the same family, but only 4 of that Surname, so I'd believe they would be related.... Name: McGREVY. Initials: J. Rank: Private Regiment/Service: Royal Warwickshire Regiment. Unit Text: 15th Bn. Date of Death: 20/10/1917. Service No: 32845 Grave/Memorial Reference: IX. B. 4. Cemetery: HOOGE CRATER CEMETERY Harry's MIC shows 13th August and that the Clasp was issued. It shows his rank as both a Private and L/Cpl, but if he got promoted"in the Field" it must have been as soon as he was posted Overseas or shortly thereafter. The stark reference to "Dead"/"Died" would normally infer death from disease, not in battle, but perhaps with the confused fighting no one quite knew what happened to him. He may be a "Known Unto God" in one of the many cemeteries nearby........... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TParker96 Posted 11 July , 2011 Share Posted 11 July , 2011 Hi, Found a picture of Harry McGrevy's name on memorial. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephen p nunn Posted 11 July , 2011 Author Share Posted 11 July , 2011 Thanks friends - fantastic information - you never let me down! Best regards. SPN Maldon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlW Posted 13 July , 2011 Share Posted 13 July , 2011 Good evening, You might like to log on to the North East War Memorial web site - there are a few McGrevy's listed - you might get a lead. On Ansestry there is a book of remembrance for Gateshead in the military section. I've had a quick look but couldn't find any reference - but it's very jumbled up on the M, Mac, Mc, etc info. so a bit of time might come up trumps. Hope this helps. Regards Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Stewart Posted 14 July , 2011 Share Posted 14 July , 2011 553 L/Cpl Harry McGrevy, was a pre-war regular soldier who enlisted into the NF as a Pte, between the 15th & 18th March, 1904 and is one of the early post South African war enlistments. He would have originally served at the Depot at Fenham, before being posted to either the 3rd or 4th Bns, as both the 1st & 2nd Bns were still serving overseas. On the disbandment of these two battalions c.1906 he would have been reposted to either the 1st or 2nd Bn, however as he died with the 1st Bn, I suspect he was posted to them at some stage while they were serving in India. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 14 July , 2011 Share Posted 14 July , 2011 Hi Maldon. Here is a photograph. from HERE Cheers Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephen p nunn Posted 14 July , 2011 Author Share Posted 14 July , 2011 Alan, Graham, Mike - brilliant! Very many thanks. S. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC.G Posted 20 November , 2018 Share Posted 20 November , 2018 (edited) Hi Harry (aka Henry) Mc Grevy was my great uncle. He had two sisters one of which was my grandma and he had two younger brothers: Arthur who served in the East Yorkshire regiment. SN 9390. Who was killed at the battle of Loos on 4th October 1915 aged 24....Harry's widow Ruth lived at 94 Milling Street Gateshead at the time of his death. James who served with the East Yorkshire Regiment SN 28386, Hussars SN 28988 and Royal Warwickshire Regiment SN 32845. Killed in Action 26th October 1917.Battle of Ypres, second battle of Passchendaele, Zonnebeke. He is buried at Hooge Crater Cemetery Zillebeke. Cemetery Reference. IX . B . 4. He left a widow Sarah Walton Mc Grevy (Nee Walton) and a child.Harry is commemorated at Le - Ferte -Sous - Jouarre Memorial France. Arthur is commemorated at the East Yorkshire Regimental Memorial in Beverley Minster and at the Loos Memorial on panels 40 and 41 at Loos - en - Gohelle France. He left a widow Ruth and daughter Margaret Theresa..who Harry called Little Betsy. They had two sisters and one of them Elizabeth named her youngest son James after her brother, James is still alive and will soon be aged 94 in January 2019. He is a D Day veteran, Royal Marine Commando, Juno Beach. He amongst his other medals was awarded in 2017 Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur. I am James's son aged 55. My grandmother Elizabeth had ten children. It must have been terrible for her to lose all three of her brothers in war. Her younger sister Margaret (aka Lala) however not only lost her brothers but also her husband 17385 Wilkinson Cape Carruthers, of the Green Howards/ Yorkshire regiment in the war..It would be incredible to make contact with Harry's descendants. The home address of the boy's parents was Sarah Street, Shieldfield, Newcastle upon Tyne not Sarak which seems to be a misreading of the paper record. On 11/07/2011 at 07:46, stephen p nunn said: Dear all, A friend is researching his grandfather, L/Cpl 553 Harry McGREVY of the Northumberland Fusiliers. Harry was apparently one of the British Expeditionary Force (the Old Contemptibles) who landed at Le Harve on 9th August 1914. His regiment marched 200 miles south in France before engaging the Germans. Fierce fighting forced them to retreat, fighting all the way until they reached the river Aisne. On Sunday 14th September 1914 Harry was killed in action at the Battle of the River Aisne (first battle of the Aisne). His grave is unknown. In 1998, my friend took his late mother then aged 86 to visit what they believed to be his grave. My friend visited Alnwick Castle in Northumberland the H. Q. of the now disbanded Fusiliers but there is no record of his grandfather. Does anybody have anything they can add further on this soldier and his life and service please? Thank you very much. SPN Maldon. Edited 28 November , 2018 by MC.G Factual amendment Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC.G Posted 21 November , 2018 Share Posted 21 November , 2018 (edited) Edited 21 November , 2018 by MC.G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC.G Posted 21 November , 2018 Share Posted 21 November , 2018 (edited) Looking at the picture. On the right of this picture, most probably taken in 1914, is Lance Corporal 553 Harry Mc Grevy. 1st Battalion Northumberland Fusilers. ( Died on 14 th September 1914. Aged 30 years. Battle of Aisne Vailly-Sur-Aisne.) * Commemorated on La Ferte-Sous-Jouarre Memorial France* To his left is his brother James who served with the East Yorkshire Regiment SN 28386, Hussars SN 28988 and Royal Warwickshire Regiment SN 32845. Killed in Action 26th October 1917.Battle of Ypres, second battle of Passchendaele, Zonnebeke. He is buried at Hooge Crater Cemetery Zillebeke. Cemetery Reference. IX . B . 4. He left a widow Sarah W Mc Grevy (Nee Walton) and a child. The lady is one of his two sisters Margaret, (known as Lala) McGrevy who lived to the age of 105. ( The missing sister is Elizabeth, (known as Bessie). Born 4th July 1881. Died August 6th 1961. To the left of her is Lance Serjeant 9390 Arthur McGrevy of the East Yorkshire Regiment. ( Died 4th October 1915. Aged 24 years. Battle of Loos, Auchy-Les-Mines.) * Commemorated on the Loos Memorial Panel 40 and 41 France and The East Yorkshire Regiment Memorial inside Beverley Minster, Beverley, England * Their ages at the date of this picture Circa 1914 would have been 23, TBA, 20 and 30. From left to right. Arthur, Elizabeth, James and Harry. Edited 31 December , 2018 by MC.G Updated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC.G Posted 23 November , 2018 Share Posted 23 November , 2018 (edited) This is a picture of the List of Commemoration in Beverley Minster for the East Yorkshire Regiment. Arthur Mc Grevy was in the Second Battalion. Edited 23 November , 2018 by MC.G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC.G Posted 23 November , 2018 Share Posted 23 November , 2018 (edited) A picture of James McGrevy probably taken separately at the same time as the picture with his two brothers and Sister Margaret. (He would have been 20 in 1914.) With a picture of him in cavalry uniform. Edited 31 December , 2018 by MC.G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC.G Posted 23 November , 2018 Share Posted 23 November , 2018 (edited) The old saying that there is always somebody worse off than yourself applied to Elizabeth McGrevy, She lost all her brothers in WW1 Her sister lost all of her brothers and her husband in WW1 Wilkinson Cape Carruthers who was a friend of Arthur's serving in the Yorkshire regiment/ Green Howard's....He is listed on the Cramlington war memorial in Northumberland incorrectly as having served with the East Yorks. Margaret (aka Lala) was only married for 5 days when her husband was killed. They had no offspring together. She was remarried after the war to a man called Arthur Cherry. Wilkinson Cape Carruthers was a friend of Arthur McGrevy. See images. He is buried at Cite Bonjean Military Cemetery, Armentieres. Cemetery/Memorial reference: IX. E. 85. Edited 23 November , 2018 by MC.G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Stewart Posted 23 November , 2018 Share Posted 23 November , 2018 MC.G - Thank you very much for posting all of this additional material to the original post. Greatly appreciated - as it's always nice to put a face to a name of one of the fallen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC.G Posted 27 November , 2018 Share Posted 27 November , 2018 My sincere thanks To Graham Stewart for his exceptional dedication and detective skills in helping to resolve a mystery. I am now confident based upon Graham's work and documentary evidence that my relative James McGrevy is indeed correctly noted and recognised in this posting and that order and fact have now been restored. I hope all of my great uncles, great aunts and departed family can now all rest in peace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC.G Posted 31 December , 2018 Share Posted 31 December , 2018 This embroidery silk was in the possession of Elizabeth Mc Grevy. We don't know which of the brothers sent it to her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smiddla Posted 8 November , 2020 Share Posted 8 November , 2020 Hi Harry McGrey was my great grandad. I noticed there is a relative within this feed. I was wondering if he’d be able to get in contact. Betsy was my grandma. She had 7 (some of them sadly now passed away) children. One of them being my Dad. many thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin DavidOwen Posted 8 November , 2020 Admin Share Posted 8 November , 2020 1 hour ago, Smiddla said: Hi Harry McGrey was my great grandad. I noticed there is a relative within this feed. I was wondering if he’d be able to get in contact. Betsy was my grandma. She had 7 (some of them sadly now passed away) children. One of them being my Dad. many thanks Welcome to the forum Once you have made two posts you will have access to the private messaging system - click on their user name and select the envelope icon. So long as they are using the same email address that they registered with they will be notified of your message. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smiddla Posted 8 November , 2020 Share Posted 8 November , 2020 Thankyou. I’ll do that now. Some of the photos above my family hasn’t seen too. I’ve been able to show them. Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smiddla Posted 19 August , 2021 Share Posted 19 August , 2021 Hi i see this feed is quite old now. But I’m Harry McGrevys great granddaughter. I’m trying to get any photos and information I can for my dad and his remaining brothers and sister. Many thanks. Kelly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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