Frederick Harling

[Guest xphile2868]

Frederick Harling was my great great uncle. He was born in Preston, Lancashire in 1899 and died at Ypres in 1917. All I know about what he did in the First World War is from the CWGC -

Name: HARLING, FRED

Initials: F

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Private

Regiment/Service: The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment

Unit Text: 1st/5th Bn.

Age: 18

Date of Death: 30/07/1917

Service No: 201408

Additional information: Son of Charles and Alice Harling, of 30, Thornton St., Preston.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 41 and 43.

Memorial: YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL

I have a few questions I hope you can answer -

As he was 18 when he died, when would he have joined the Army?

The Menin Gate memorial lists names of those whose graves are not known. Does this mean that Fred was buried in the trenches?

[John_Hartley]

Welcome to the Forum

Fred's service number is one that was issued after the beginning of 1917 (or thereabouts). It'd be a reasonable guess that he was conscripted when he became 18, although it's possible he had enlisted when he was 17, but still probably wouldnt have gone overseas until he was 18.

There's a number of reasons why he doesnt have a known grave. The day he died was the day before the start of the Third Battle of Ypres (you may have heard it called the Battle of Passchendaele). I dont know where his unit was on that day but presumably in the front line waiting to attack or somewhere in reserve. The most likely bet is that he was killed by shellfire.

To be blunt, this may mean that he was, literally, blown to bits and there was nothing left to bury (or that several were killed and his mates could tell who was who). It could also be that he was buried somewhere very near the front line (possibly, as you say, even in the trench). His grave was then either destoyed or the location lost in the course of the rest of the war.

If you're interested in finding more about him, it'll be worth you reading the "research" section of the mother site - click the Long Long Trail link, top left of this page.

John

[manchester regiment]

hiya X,your uncle enlisted just after the outbreak,his original number was 3904,he was born in chorley,lancs,john harling also in the 1/5th,killed in 1918, who also came from chorley could be a rellie,johns parents were thomas,james and mrs s.a harling,124 clifford st,chorley[may be a cousin]theres a possibility that fred may have been previously been wounded or sick,bernard