Lieutenant-Colonel A.R. Harman

[stephen p nunn]

Pals - any thoughts on this story please:

Amongst the 40 or so trophies still competed for by members of Maldon’s Golf Club are some truly historic cups. It is not surprising that they have such a fine array of silverware as the Beeleigh course was founded back in 1891. The Mayor’s Cup was presented by Herman Krohn in 1903 and he also donated the Krohn Cup in 1912. Then there is the Bentall Cup, a name synonymous with our early industry and key to the success of the local economy. But the most curious of them all must surely be the Challenge Bowl called the Worcester Cup. It is particularly odd because Maldon is a good 180 miles from Worcester, so why is it here? Look at the club archives and we discover that it was donated by a Lieutenant-Colonel A.R. Harman and Officers of the 1/7 Worcester Regiment. The date was March 1915, at the height of the Great War. Further research reveals that Alexander Ramsay Harman, CMG, DSO, was the commanding officer of the 7^th Battalion of the Regiment from 1914 to 1917. Born in 1877, he was educated at Oxford and Sandhurst, saw service with the Rifle Brigade in Sudan and the South African War and was mentioned-in-despatches. In 1913 he retired as a Captain and married a widow, Sarah Gage-Brown, in London. However, with the outbreak of the First World War he was recalled for service and took over command of the 1/7 Worcesters. But what has any of that got to do with Maldon?

Following the arrival of billeting officers in town in September 1914, Maldon was stationed by both the 7^th and 8^th Worcesters. The 7^th Battalion had been formed in August 1914 in Kidderminster as part of the Gloucester and Worcester Brigade, South Midland Division. They moved on mobilisation to Swindon but very quickly came to Maldon. They occupied the lower half of town, whilst the 8^th had the top half. For example, in Wellington Road Privates Beckett and Pearson billeted at Miss Everard’s house, whilst Privates Green and Hardwick stayed with Mrs. Sewell. The men of the Worcesters quickly integrated into the life of the local community and became involved in a number of local clubs and sporting activities – not least golf over at the Beeleigh Links. Both the 7^th and 8^th remained throughout the winter months of 1914 and finally entrained “after dusk” at East Station in the spring of 1915 to make their way to the Western Front. They landed at Boulogne on the 31^st. March 1915, however, some of them must have stayed behind because during the evening of the 15^th April 1915 soldiers from the 2/8^th Worcesters were at the cinema when they heard “a great roaring noise”. They rushed out into the street and saw a huge Zeppelin drop incendiary bombs on a workshop and iron shed in Spital Road and on their own Battalion Headquarters. Maldon residents were keen to keep in touch with the progress of their adopted battalions and there were regular (relatively uncensored) reports of their battle activities in the local newspaper, the ‘Maldon Advertiser’. Of the 1/7^th the edition of 23^rd July 1915 informed readers that Privates Chance and Fellows had been wounded, that Second-Lieutenant Simes was in Boulogne Hospital, Second-Lieutenant Burcher was also on the sick list and that Private Cole had tragically died of wounds from a poisonous bomb. There had also been promotions - Lieutenant Gough to temporary Captain and Second-Lieutenant Wallace to temporary Lieutenant. On the 6^th August 1915 the Rector of St. Mary’s, the Reverend E.L.B. Kevill-Davies, reported that he had sent things out to the men of the Worcesters who had previously been billeted with him but reminded parishioners that they shouldn’t forget the Maldon men who were also serving abroad.

Meanwhile, the commanding officer, keen amateur golfer, Alexander Harman, was invalided home sick on the 19^th January 1916, but rejoined his battalion from hospital and resumed command on the 10^th May 1916. He was later awarded the DSO for gallantry at Ovillers, France in July 1916. His citation read; "For the excellent handling of his battalion, notably when clearing the enemy's trenches with great determination during several consecutive days”. He was also mention-in-despatches no less than four times – on the 1^st January and 15^th June 1916, on the 4^th January 1917 and the 20^th May 1918. By September 1917 he had been promoted to temporary Brigadier-General and attached to Headquarters. A CMG (the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George) was granted by the King in the 1918 New Years honours and in February 1919 the honorary rank of Brigadier-General. Alexander Ramsay Harman died in London on the 12^th April 1954, aged 76. The first recipient of the Worcester Cup was the club secretary and treasurer, H.F. Bawtree, in 1919, but I wonder how many subsequent winners know the story behind this unique piece of our Great War local heritage.

Regards.

SPN
Maldon.

[Simon_Fielding]

You might find this interesting - but I hope I have my facts right!! Bewdley is 3 miles W of Kidderminster...Cheers, Simon

(Albert George Price pictured right)

2/7th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment 200198

Died 17^th June 1917

Albert George Price was another of the Bewdley war memorial casualties who was both a long term soldier, and a veteran of the Boer war.

He was born in 1868, and was the eldest child of George and Elizabeth Price. George Price was a basket maker by trade, and was born in Bewdley in 1847, and Elizabeth was also born in Bewdley in 1843. By the time of the 1871 census, the family are living in 1 Court number 2, Sandy Bank. Albert George is one year old, and his younger brother Alonzo is aged one month. Albert Price also attended the Old Swinford Hospital School from December 1878, and was still a boarder in 1881. By 1891, the family were resident at 32 Wyre Hill. Albert has followed his father into the basket maker's trade, and is aged 20 years. his siblings are Daniel aged 18, and working as a mill hand, Nora aged 10, Sylvia aged 8, and George aged 4.

By 1892, Albert George Price had changed career again and joined the army. He served with the 1^st Battalion Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry, which was stationed in India from 1888 to 1901. Price served 11 years with the Battalion, in India, including the North West Frontier campaign of 1897-8. He also guarded Boer War prisoners in Ceylon between 1900 and 1902. On his return to Bewdley, he married Annie Baker on the 30th of September 1905, where his trade is again given as basket maker. Albert and Annie's address is given as 45 Wyre Hill. Albert Price was a reservist with the Bewdley Territorials throughout the opening years of the century. He worked as a gardener for John Eliot at Tickenhill Palace, which was at this time a small independent school. By the 1911 census, the Price family live at Court 3, No 4 High Street. Annie Price senior is aged 26, and works as a domestic servant. They have four children: Rosie aged 6, Lily aged 5, Annie aged 3 and Samuel aged 1. At this time, George and Elizabeth Price are still living at 32 Wyre Hill, aged 65 and 69 respectively; George Price is still working as a jobbing builder and bricklayer, and the couple have been married for 45 years.

At the outbreak of war in 1914, Albert Price was recalled to service with the Worcestershire Regiment. He served with the 2/7^th Battalion, originally intended for home defence. Along with many of his comrades, Albert was quick to volunteer for service overseas. The battalion formed part of 183^rd brigade of 61^st Division, and was moved from its initial base of Northampton to Chelmsford in Essex early in 1915. The division suffered from training with inferior equipment, and it was often used as a source of replacements and reinforcements for other units.

While training with the 2/7^th in southern England, the 2/7^th and Albert price in particular would have several encounters with the Zeppelin airship raids that took place during the opening years of the Great War. The 61^st Division, and the 2/7^th Worcesters were under German zeppelin bombs for the first time in May 1915, when bombs fell on the Maldon area. However, it was the raids of the 7/8^th September 1915 that directly involved Albert Price. Both attacks were recalled by Sir William Hugh Stobart Chance, C.B.E. who witnessed both as a young officer: he describes the later attack:

the Brigade was under canvas near Epping and one of the Gloucester battalions was having a guest night. Suddenly over the forest appeared a Zeppelin flying low, and the bomb-dropper must have been surprised to find himself over a large tented camp. Anyhow he forgot to remove the safety pins from the bombs which he let fly, and although several fell and buried themselves deeply in the ground, no one was hurt and the only casualty was the Gloucesters' mess tent which was set on fire by

an incendiary.

This seems to refer to the third zeppelin raid by three zeppelins who bombed London and the surrounding counties. LZ.77 commanded by Hauptmann Alfred Horn dropped six bombs near Framlingham. SL.2 commanded by Hauptman Richard von Wobeser dropped bombs on the Isle of Dogs, Deptford, Greenwich and Woolwich. LZ.74 commanded by Hauptman Friedrich George crossed the coast near Clacton at 22.40. While approaching London, he was forced to drop weight and scattered 39 bombs over Cheshunt and nearby Epping. LZ.74 then headed on to London and dropped devices on Bermondsey, Rotherhithe and New Cross. Eighteen people were killed and 28 injured with property damage totalling £9,616. Fog and mist prevented any aircraft being launched but a number of anti-aircraft guns, including a gun at Waltham Abbey, fired at LZ.74 with no effect.

LZ.74’s unexploded munitions were discovered by Albert Price and two other soldiers of the 2/7^th Worcestershire, as the illustration at the top of this section shows. Stanley Booker, an officer with the 2/7^th, described attempts to detonate the unexploded bomb in a letter to his mother:

The bombs were all dug out of their holes by the Gloucesters and taken up: they were found to be between 7 and 8ft deep in the earth. They were very heavy, more than 140lbs each and the Engineers reckoned from the holes they made they must have struck the ground with a force of more than 72 tons. They were excavated and brought up and I saw one of them, they were nearly round in shape and about 1 ft thick: with a brass fuse on top. The Gloucesters tried to explode it but it did not come off. I watched. They took the bomb to a field at the top of a hill a mile from the ramp and placed it in a hole 7 or 8ft deep, took off the fuse and fastened a slab of gun cotton on it with a wire 20ft long or so. Then round the bomb in the hole they placed sand-bags and built up a wall about 3ft all round and last of all piled brushwood on the top. Then we were all told to stand clear and so we all got into an old trench about 100yds away: then the Engineers lighted the wire and bolted. The wire burned at the rate of 2 inches in 6 seconds I think: however there was enough wire to last four minutes. So we waited: then we heard a report and a small cloud of white smoke floated up. It was the gun cotton exploded: everyone made a rush for the hole and the sand­bags were soon torn up and it was found the bomb was unhurt except for a large rent in it. We found it filled with a yellow powder: the Engineer Captain who was in charge did not know what the stuff was: he lit some and it burned quietly. I then came away as it was getting near time for the officers' mess but we heard more attempts to explode the bomb. Last of all the Engineer officer was seen driving off with the bomb lying on the back seat of his motor. I brought back a little of the stuff to the mess: but no one knew what it was though everyone had a look. 1 have since heard the bombs were meant to be asphyxiating: but somehow or other they failed to do anything at all...

The 61^st Division moved to Salisbury Plain in March 1916, and it was reviewed by King George V in May. It deployed to France in the same month. The division’s first taste of action was in the disastrous action at Fromelles in 1916, a poorly-planned diversionary attack to draw German reserves away from the Somme. Despite suffering heavy casualties, the Division attracted a poor reputation and was used for holding trenches until 1917. It took part in the battles around the Ancre, and also seized some important positions during the German retreat to their fortified Hindenburg Line in March 1917.

The 2/7^th saw some short service in the aftermath of the Battle of Arras, but early in June they were notified that they would be redeployed in Flanders. The 2/7^th were at billets near Tilloy-les-Mofflaines, and formed many working parties. The fighting had died down and this period was generally uneventful. Late in June the 61^st Division moved out of the Arras sector to prepare for the new offensive centring on Ypres that would dominate the remainder of the year. At some point in mid-June Albert Price was hospitalised at the major British base at Etaples, where he died on the 17^th June 1917. he was 48 years old, and is buried in the Etaples Military Cemetery, grave XXII. K. 12A.

Kidderminster Shuttle 7^th July 1917 p.7

Kidderminster Times 14^th July 1917 p.8

[stiletto_33853]

HARMAN, Alexander Ramsay.

Born 27th September 1877: Educated Marlborough; 2nd Lt 7/12/91 Lieut. 11/10/93, Captain 22/1/02, retired 22/2/13, re-employed 1914. Lt.-Col 1914, Colonel 6/9/17; T/Brig. - Gen 6/9/17, retired 1920.

2nd Rifle Brigade Sudan 1898, South Africa 1899 - 1900; ADC to Governor Queensland 1902 - 05, Adjutant 2nd Rifle Brigade 1907 - 10, 1st Rifle Brigade 1910 - 13. Commanded 7th Worcester Regiment 1915 - 17; Commanded 114th Infantry Brigade 1917 - 18.

Married 1913 Sarah Janet Pitcairn Sandilands.

CMG 1918, DSO 1916. Queens Sudan Medal (clasp Atbara), Khedives Sudan Medal, Queens South Africa Medal (3 clasps) 1914-15 Star, BWM, VM, despatches 5 times.

Died 14/4/54

From Rifle Brigade records.

He was the son of Sir George Byng Harman K.C.B.

Andy

[MBrockway]

May be totally unrelated, as it's not that unusual a name, but there were Harmans in Kidderminster in the 1960s-70s.

IIRC, they played golf and they, in fact, lived next door to my uncle - no mean golfer himself.

The eldest son, Richard Harman, was at school with me and my cousins in Worcester and is now the headmaster at Uppingham.

Richard would be two or three generations on from Alexander Harman.

This is probably all just coincidence however - General Harman's connection with Worcestershire seems limited to being in command of a battalion of the Worcesters and neither of the above posts suggest he settled there after the War. I certainly don't remember Richard Harman talking about the 95th in the same way as my cousins and I talked about the 60th, although we certainly made and destroyed several Airfix Waterloo Greenjackets figurines together!

[stephen p nunn]

_{Thanks all for these great responses.}

_{Best wishes.}

_SPN
Maldon.

[stiletto_33853]

Bit more for you SPN,

Brigadier - General A.R. Harman, C.M.G., D.S.O.

Brigadier - General Alexander Ramsay Harman was the younger son of the late Lieutenant - General Sir George Byng Harman, K.C.B. He was born 27th September, 1877, and educated at Marlborough. In 1897 he was gazetted to the Regiment and served with the 2nd Battalion in the Sudan Campaign of 1898 and in The South African War, and received the Queens Medal with three clasps and was Mentioned in Despatches. He was promoted to Captain in 902 and in February the same year went as A.D.C. to the Governor of Queensland. He was there until February 1905, when he returned to the 2nd Battalion and was Adjuatant from 1907 until 1910. He was promoted Major and posted to the 1st Battalion.

He retired in 1913 and on being recalled from the Reserve for the First World War was appointed to command the 7th Bn. The Worcestershire Regiment. In 1916 he was awarded the D.S.O. for gallantry at Ovillers, was Mentioned in Despatches three times, and in 1915 awarded the C.M.G.

He retired in 1920 with the rank of Brigadier - General. After leaving the Army he went to live in British Columbia and started a fruit farm which he ran very successfully until it was destroyed by a forest fire. However, nothing duanted, he rebuilt the house and started again, but his home was once more destroyed by fire and he returned to England. In 1913 he married Miss Sarah Janet Pitcairn Sandlands. He died on 12th April, 1954, aged seventy-six years, his elder brother was killed in action with the 2nd Battalion in 1914.

A brother-officer writes:

"Infant" took over Adjutant of the 2nd Battalion in Chubattia when Ginger Basset went on "K's" staff. During his regime it was a very happy battalion, which speaks for itself. Motors were beginning to reach Calcutta, and "Infant" got a small Renault for which he had a garage built in the fort. Several of us gathered to see !Infant" go for his first drive. The engine started at once, "Infant" got in the driving seat, manipulated the clutch and shot backwards through the rear wall of the garage. Forunately, it was a mud one and little harm was done, and "Infant" got much pleasure from his car. "Infant" was always cheerful, and the turn out of the various guards was as good as I've ever seen them, under his eagle-eye.

Rifle Brigade Chronicle 1954.

Andy

[stephen p nunn]

Great stuff Andy - thank you very much.

Regards.

Stephen.

[MBrockway]

Brigadier Alexander Ramsay Harman was presumably nick-named "infant" as his elder brother, Major George Malcolm Nixon Harman, was a contemporary in the Rifle Brigade.

While not specifically related to the original post about Maldon GC's Worcester Cup, here's his brother's biog for general interest ....

Source: The Bond of Sacrifice, Vol.I, p.174

Andy - was their father, Lt.-Gen. Sir George Byng Harman, by any chance another Rifleman?

Mark

[seaforth78]

HARMAN, Alexander Ramsay.

Born 27th September 1877: Educated Marlborough; 2nd Lt 7/12/91 Lieut. 11/10/93, Captain 22/1/02, retired 22/2/13, re-employed 1914. Lt.-Col 1914, Colonel 6/9/17; T/Brig. - Gen 6/9/17, retired 1920.

2nd Rifle Brigade Sudan 1898, South Africa 1899 - 1900; ADC to Governor Queensland 1902 - 05, Adjutant 2nd Rifle Brigade 1907 - 10, 1st Rifle Brigade 1910 - 13. Commanded 7th Worcester Regiment 1915 - 17; Commanded 114th Infantry Brigade 1917 - 18.

Married 1913 Sarah Janet Pitcairn Sandilands.

CMG 1918, DSO 1916. Queens Sudan Medal (clasp Atbara), Khedives Sudan Medal, Queens South Africa Medal (3 clasps) 1914-15 Star, BWM, VM, despatches 5 times.

Died 14/4/54

From Rifle Brigade records.

He was the son of Sir George Byng Harman K.C.B.

Andy

Andy,

I think the RB records here for once were incorrect. 2nd RB never made for Atbara; they only fought at Omdurman unless Harmsn was the staff. Even if that's true, he would have the clasp for Khartoum on his Khedives. Rather odd.

[MBrockway]

The Army Lists do not help to clarify the matter. The exact medal and clasp is not specified, though only the Battle of Khartoum (i.e. Omdurman) is mentioned ....

[seaforth78]

Thanks for that Mark. Then obviously the previous RB record meant Omdurman (Khartoum) clasp.

[MBrockway]

IIRC, the Queen's Sudan Medal had no clasps, whereas the Khedive's Sudan Medal had both 'Khartoum' and 'The Atbara' (among many others).

I interpret the Army List entry thus: "Egyptian Medal with clasp" is the (Egyptian government's) Khedive's Sudan Medal with clasp (probably either 'Khartoum' or 'The Atbara') and "Medal" is the (British) Queen's Sudan Medal.

If he was at Omdurman with 2/RB, one would expect him to be awarded the Queen's Sudan Medal and the Khedive's Sudan Medal with the 'Khartoum' clasp.

If he was at The Atbara away from from his battalion, then the Queen's Sudan Medal and the Khedive's Sudan Medal with the 'The Atbara' clasp.

On balance, it's most likely to be a simple mistake in the RB records, but assumption is always a dangerous game!

Certainty will only be achieved by checking the medal rolls.

[seaforth78]

I have been collecting to the Sudan campaign for over twenty five years and have every Sudan medal group of all the British Regiments that were at both Atbara and Khartoum. While I yet to check the medal rolls of 2/RB, I suspect its a mistake. There were no recorded RB officers at Atbara, and as such, would not have qualified for the clasp. But I like assumptions! They make one think!

Will get back to you about the clasp roll for Atbara/Khartoum

[stephen p nunn]

Great addition to this thread chaps - thank you very much.

SPN
Maldon.