Pte 29623 Reginald Horace Harvey

• Age: 22
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 4th August 1917
• Commemorated at: Poelcapelle B C
  Panel Ref: LVII.C.6

Reginald Horace Harvey was born 31st March 1895 at Liverpool and was baptised 11th August 1895 at St Philomena’s C.of E. Church, Toxteth, Liverpool. He was the son of Frederick Harvey and his wife Jane (nee Rogers) who married in 1887 at Warrington.

Frederick, who was a hairdresser, had been born in Walsall in 1865 and Jane was born in Tipton, Staffordshire in 1859. They were living in Derby at the time of the 1891 census where they had two children – Frederick William in 1888 and Ethel May in 1890. Another daughter called Hilda Winifred was also born in Derby in 1892.

At some time in the intervening years the family moved to Liverpool as they are living at 200 Windsor Street in Toxteth at the time of the 1901 census. As Frederick (who is named as James) is still working as a hairdresser, and has neighbours who are tradespeople such as confectioners, bakers and tailors, it’s probably safe to assume that the address is a shop as indeed it is today. Frederick is 35 and his wife Jane is 42. Their children are Frederick who is now 13, Ethel 10, Hilda 9. Reginald Horace aged 6 and Doris Olga aged 3 had both been born in Liverpool.

The 1911 Census shows the family still at 200 Windsor Street, Liverpool. The census records that Reginald’s parents had been married for 24 years and have had six children of which one had died. Four of the surviving five children are still living at home, Ethel aged 20 is working as a dressmaker, Hilda aged 19 is assisting at home. Reginald aged 16 is a hairdresser and Doris Olga aged 13 is at school.

The 1911 census shows Reginald’s older brother Frederick, who is also a hairdresser, living with an aunt and uncle in Widnes. Frederick married in April 1916.

Reginald enlisted in Knowsley and was serving in the 17th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 29623 when he was killed in action on the 4th August, 1917 aged 22 during the Third Battle of Ypres.

The 17th Battalion Diary groups the action of the opening day of the offensive up to the relief of the Battalion on 04th August as follows:

On that day, the 89th Brigade was to follow up the attacks of the 21st and 90th Brigades and once their objectives had been taken, to go through them and secure a line of strong points on the German third line. The 89th Brigade line of attack was from the South West corner of Polygon Wood, to the Menin Road. The 17th Battalion The King’s Liverpool Regiment was on the left of the attack, and the 20th to the right, with the 19th Battalion and the 2nd Battalion The Bedfordshire Regiment, in Divisional Reserve.

The Battalion moved into assembly positions east of Maple Copse between 05.00 and 05.20am, they were heavily shelled and suffered many casualties. At 07.50 they began to advance with the 17th Battalion on the left, and the 20th on the right, the whole time under heavy shell fire. On reaching their position which was the Blue Line , troops of both the 21st and 90th Brigades were still pinned down and thus any attempt at further progress were futile.

Despite this they pushed on until their flank was just touching Clapham Junction. They then dug in and awaited the inevitable bombardment which hit them soon after. Despite this, they held onto the ground.

During the action and their time in the line the 17th Battalion lost three officers and 79 men killed or died of wounds, and four officers and 198 men wounded. They were eventually relieved on the night of 3rd -4th August.

Reginald was one of those casualties referred to. He now rests at Poelcapelle British Cemetery, Belgium where his headstone bears the epitaph:

“IN JESUS KEEPING SAFELY SLEEPING”

Poelcapelle (now Poelkapelle) was taken by the Germans from the French on 20 October 1914, entered by the 11th Division on 4 October 1917, evacuated by Commonwealth forces in April 1918, and retaken by the Belgians on 28 September 1918.

Poelcapelle British Cemetery was made after the Armistice when graves were brought in from the surrounding battlefields.

The great majority of the graves date from the last five months of 1917, and in particular October, but certain plots (IA, VIA, VIIA, LI and LXI) contain many graves of 1914 and 1915.

There are now 7,479 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated in Poelcappelle British Cemetery. 6,230 of the burials are unidentified but special memorials commemorate 8 casualties known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials commemorate 24 servicemen buried by the Germans in other burial grounds in the area whose graves could not be located. There is also 1 burial of the Second World War within the cemetery.

The cemetery was designed by Charles Holden.

Among those buried in the cemetery is Private John Condon of the Royal Irish Regiment, who at 14 is thought to be the youngest battle casualty of the First World War commemorated by the Commission.

Reginald was listed as wounded shell shock in the Liverpool Daily Post on the 04th August 1916:

WOUNDED SHELL SHOCK

King's (Liverpools) - Harvey, 29623, R. H. (Woolton);

His death was reported in the Liverpool Echo on the 14th August 1917:

HARVEY - Killed in action between July 31 and August 4, aged 22 years, Private Reginald Horace (Reg), the beloved youngest son of Mr and Mrs Harvey of 58 Allerton Road, Woolton (late of Windsor Street).

Also in the Liverpool Daily Post on the 01st September 1917:

Private Reginald Horace Harvey, K.L.R., son of Mr F. Harvey, Allerton Road, Woolton, and formerly of Toxteth, was buried with others by several tons of earth as a result of shell explosion and it was found impossible to rescue them. 

Reginald is also commemorated on the following Memorials: 

St Peter’s C. of E. Church, Woolton

Allerton Methodist Church

Woolton Village Club.

Soldiers Effects to father Frederick, Pension to mother Jane.

After the war his parents lived at 58 Allerton Road, Woolton, Liverpool. His sisters all married: Hilda in 1920, Doris in 1922 and Ethel in 1924.

His mother Jane died in 1930 and his father in 1931. They both rest at St Peter’s Church, Woolton.

We currently have no further information on Reginald Horace Harvey, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.