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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Two Non-Comms Two Polo players


tharkin56

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Name: Roy King

Birth Place: Bangalore, India

Residence: Woking, Surrey

Death Date: 26 Oct 1917

Death Place: France and Flanders

Enlistment Place: Marylebone, London

Rank: Private

Regiment: Royal Warwickshire Regiment

Battalion: 15th Battalion

Regimental Number: 32825

Type of Casualty: Killed in action

Theatre of War: Western European Theatre

Comments: Formerly 28641, Hussars.

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18-5-15....

10th Hussars War Diary?

I think this is the man...

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I think this may be his mother applying for his medals

attachicon.gifJ M Harris.jpg

Yes, the initials are right - his mother was Jessie Maria Harris.

Edit: Harris senior was surgeon at Dartmoor prison at the time they got married (1883).

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Looks like a done deal - the NA file would be the clincher. Might there have been a CM or similar?

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...and another triumph of collective research!

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I would doubt that there was a CM, but if his file hasn't been weeded, the correspondence regarding his removal should be there, including the Royal approval.

Phil

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An excellent collective effort!

It'd be very interesting to see what the file contains, and how it compares to info from the blundell's school magazine/roll of honour. Has anyone looked to see if there's any service papers for 1915-17?

Agreed that it's unlikely he'd have been CM'd.

One further thought, and I'd be interested in opinions on this:

His birth name is 'King Davie HARRIS'. He appears to have assumed the name 'Roy King HARRIS'. CWGC have him as 'Roy KING'. Either the name recorded by CWGC is a transcription error, or he enlisted under an alias based on his birth and assumed names. In either case, I reckon that CWGC's records should read 'King Davie HARRIS, served as....' or 'alias....', or something similar. Anyone have any thoughts on this....? I'm happy to contact CWGC, just curious to know what others think.....

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Have you already got this one?

The Leicestershire Regiment.—Lieutenant King D. Harris is removed from the Army, the King having no further use for his services. Dated March 28. 1914

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CWGC have him as 'Roy KING'. Either the name recorded by CWGC is a transcription error, or he enlisted under an alias based on his birth and assumed names

SDGW has Roy King as does the medal roll.

Craig

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The CWGC will only accept Roy King as an alias if there is irrefutable proof that he is King Davie Harris. That evidence must have existed at some point if his mother was able to claim his medals. Whether it still exists is another matter. His WO 339 file is the best bet, as I see the correspondence goes up to 1920 apparently.

Phil

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Many thanks all I would have referred to Alan Tucker at this point ref Warwicks he has sdaly passed but his research has gone to the Solihull library who are on the forum, just in case. I am in Coventry so warwick HQ not far from here.

Headgardner thanks for contacting CWGC

I will read polo monthlies and magazines I have to see if R K Harris has a photo that appeared although not from memory.

I will contact Blundells as advised and see what they have and post.

Thanks again, see next post

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DICKSON, Cyril Garlies - "Also during service in India, he stood guarantor for Lt. K D Harris (qv) on his hire purchase of a bicycle for which he had to pay when both the bicycle and Lt Harris went missing" - http://www.blundells.org/archive/in-memoriam/dickson_cg.html

A colourful character, I suspect.....

Tharkin - please update us on this! I'm sure there's an interesting story here. I suspect that the school's version of events will be quite circumspect. It must have been a very big change going from the life of a privileged cavalry officer in the Indian Army to being a Private in the PBI on the western front......

The CWGC will only accept Roy King as an alias if there is irrefutable proof that he is King Davie Harris. That evidence must have existed at some point if his mother was able to claim his medals. Whether it still exists is another matter. His WO 339 file is the best bet, as I see the correspondence goes up to 1920 apparently.

Thanks, Phil. That's exactly what I was thinking. I wonder if they might accept evidence in the form of an obituary which corresponds with other evidence from WO339, and maybe a will or death certificate. We'll see.

I'm assuming that there's no trace of a will or Grant of Probate under any version of his name? Or in the burnt series? Anyone...?

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Couldn't see one - will check again.

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This is the last polo non-comm I have. This is the last one I have honest, hopefully is an easy answer.

Would you have military honours and not be on the cwgc. I have a photo of Arthur. Key is held a staff appointment qualify ?

Thanks.

CAPEL, Captain, Arthur.

A tragic event occurred on the Riviera on the Monday before Christmas, Captain Arthur Capel being killed in an automobile accident. He was motoring with Lord Rosslyn to Monte Carlo, and the sad mishap occurred near Frejus, where Captain Capel was buried a few days later with military honours . He held a staff appointment and had been engaged with the Inter-Allied War Council. Deepest sympathy will be felt with Mrs. Capel, the youngest daughter of Lord Ribblesdale, in her bereavement. They were married little more than a year ago. Mrs Capel was previously married to Mr . Percy Wyndham, who was killed in action early in the war. Captain Capel, who was the only brother of the present Lady Michelham, was a keen polo player . Before the war he played a good deal on the Continent, and his handicap of six points denotes his ability in the game . In 1912 he played in the winning team of the Continental Championship at Deauville and was also in the winning team (with Mr. W. Balding, Lord Wodehouse, and Lord Wimborne) of the Laversine Open Challenge Cup at Baron Robert de Rothschild 's private ground . Splendidly mounted, he took part in London polo last season, playing for the Roehampton Captain Arthur Capel team in the Whitney Cup Tournament, and for Everdon in the Novices' Cup at Ranelagh. He played most frequently at Hurlingham, where he will be much missed in the coming season. His death will cause a gap, too, in the polo at Cannes, where he had arranged to play during the winter season which is about to begin under Major Barrett's management

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forgot to add of the 452 obits mentioned in the polo monthlies, he was the only one not an officer at the time of his death.

Thanks again

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This is the last polo non-comm I have. This is the last one I have honest, hopefully is an easy answer.

Would you have military honours and not be on the cwgc. I have a photo of Arthur. Key is held a staff appointment qualify ?

Thanks.

CAPEL, Captain, Arthur.

A tragic event occurred on the Riviera on the Monday before Christmas, Captain Arthur Capel being killed in an automobile accident. He was motoring with Lord Rosslyn to Monte Carlo, and the sad mishap occurred near Frejus, where Captain Capel was buried a few days later with military honours . He held a staff appointment and had been engaged with the Inter-Allied War Council. Deepest sympathy will be felt with Mrs. Capel, the youngest daughter of Lord Ribblesdale, in her bereavement. They were married little more than a year ago. Mrs Capel was previously married to Mr . Percy Wyndham, who was killed in action early in the war. Captain Capel, who was the only brother of the present Lady Michelham, was a keen polo player . Before the war he played a good deal on the Continent, and his handicap of six points denotes his ability in the game . In 1912 he played in the winning team of the Continental Championship at Deauville and was also in the winning team (with Mr. W. Balding, Lord Wodehouse, and Lord Wimborne) of the Laversine Open Challenge Cup at Baron Robert de Rothschild 's private ground . Splendidly mounted, he took part in London polo last season, playing for the Roehampton Captain Arthur Capel team in the Whitney Cup Tournament, and for Everdon in the Novices' Cup at Ranelagh. He played most frequently at Hurlingham, where he will be much missed in the coming season. His death will cause a gap, too, in the polo at Cannes, where he had arranged to play during the winter season which is about to begin under Major Barrett's management

What year did he die ?

Craig

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Thats him, i guess the statement is during the war, by the time of his death he had as pointed out left the forces. so not a non-comm.

Thanks all

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  • 2 weeks later...

Info suppplied from Blundell

Thanks again

HARRIS, ROY KING

From Blundell’s Admissions Register -

No. 4806 – HARRIS, King Davie, age 13 yrs 1mth, son of Major Fredk. Wm. King Davie Harris, and Jessie Maria Harris, of 4 Courtenay Place, Teignmouth, attended from January 1901 to Summer 1905, boarding at Petergate.

From the Blundellian (school magazine)

Spring 1901

Annual Sports – 1st in 1st heat of 100yds (under-14); 1st in final of previous; 1st in half-mile (under-14)

Autumn 1901

Played as forward for Petergate in house rugby competition;

Spring 1902

Annual Sports – 1st in 1st heat of 220yds (under-15);

Summer 1902

Played for Petergate in house cricket competition;

Spring 1903

Annual Sports – 1st in 1st half of 100yds (under-16);

Autumn 1903

Played one match for Blundell’s 1st XV

December 1917

Roll of Honour – R.K. HARRIS – Corporal Roy King Harris has been killed in action, date unknown. From Sandhurst he was gazetted to the 7th Lancers, Indian Army, where he was known as a fearless rider and a polo player. He also served with the Warwickshire and Leicestershire Regiments. He left the Army to take up civil employment in South Africa, but rejoined the Army for the war, serving with the K.O.S.B., and latterly with the 10th Hussars, where he was recommended for a Commission. In recent fighting he did work with a Warwickshire unit which his Commander described as brilliant.

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