2nd Lieut Harold Gordon Ewing

• Age: 23
• From: Chester
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Monday 9th April 1917
• Commemorated at: Arras Memorial
  Panel Ref: Bay 3

Harold Gordon Ewing was born in 1892 in Chester, and was the son of Charles Anthony Ewing and his wife Martha (nee Grandidge) who were married in 1883 in St Edmunds, Falinge, Rochdale, Lancashire. He was baptised on the 22nd Feb 1893 at St john, Chester. Prior to the outbreak of the war Harold was a keen rower, being a member of the Royal Chester Rowing Club and was a apprentice to Messrs Milligan and Mackintosh, Cotton Brokers of Liverpool.

On the 1901 Census the family are living at "Rockcliff", 3 Queens Park, Chester.

Father Charles A. is aged 46, living on own means, b.Anglesea, mother Martha G. is 45 b.Rochdale, children born Chester, Alice Mabel 14 a scholar, James C. R. 13 a scholar, Philip A. O. 10 a scholar, and Harold Gordon is 9 a scholar. Mother's sister Annie Grandidge aged 35 who was born in Rochdale is also staying, they have 2 servants.

On the 1911 Census the family are still living at "Rockcliff".  

Father Charles Anthony is aged 55, an architect and timber merchant, mother is not present but she had been married 29 years with 5 children, Alice Mabel 24, Cecil James Randolph 22 an apprentice ? adjuster, Philip Alexander Orr 20 an apprentice cotton broker, and Harold Gordon is 18 an apprentice cotton merchant. They still have 2 servants.

Harold enlisted at St George's Hall in Liverpool on 01st September 1914 joining the 17th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 15113. He was aged 22 years and 1 day, born Chester, and gave his occupation as a cotton merchant, apprentice to A. Sprunt and Co. for 3 years,  ht 5' 7", wt 128lbs, chest 34", fresh complexion, grey eyes, fair hair and gave his religion as Church of England. His NOK was father Charles Anthony Rockliff, Queens Rd, Chester.

29.4.15 - at Belton Camp, Grantham

He was discharged to the Inns of Court, Officer Training Corps as Pte 5930 on 31/08/1915, he received his commission in April 1916 and was gazetted to the 18th Battalion (KLR).

Harold’s promotion was announced in the Chester Chronicle 20/5/1916. 

A CESTRIANS PROMOTION.  Mr Harold Ewing, son of Mr & Mrs C. A. Ewing of Rockcliffe, Queens Park, Chester had been gazetted as Second Lieutenant in the Kings Liverpool Regiment.  Mr Ewing joined the Liverpool “Pals” on the outbreak of war and prior to obtaining his commission had been training in the Inns of Court O.T.C.

He arrived at Battalion Headquarters in July, 1916, when it was engaged in the early stages of the Somme fighting, and he took part in the rest of the offensive. He continued to serve with the 18th Battalion until he was killed in action, on 9th April 1917,the first day of the Battle of Arras. He fell leading the first wave of the Battalion against the German front line trenches South of Neville Vitasse.

The Battalion was on the left flank of the attack made by the 21st Infantry Brigade on the Hindenburg Line, the objective being the German front line trench system. This attack meant an advance of over 2000 yards of open ground, under fire from enemy weapons of all calibres. Once the Battalion had reached a position in front of the German line, it was discovered that the wire was practically uncut, and despite an attempt to force a breakthrough, the Battalion had to dig in where it was until relieved by the 16th Battalion The Manchester Regiment, at 3am the following morning. All this time, losses were suffered from intense rifle and machine gun fire, including two officers, killed one of whom was Second-Lieutenant Ewing, whose death was ‘very much to be a regretted‘, by the Battalion Commander, Major W. L. Campbell. Second Lieutenant Harold was aged twenty three.

In a letter to his parents, Major W. L. Campbell also said,

“He was a good officer, and had done splendidly in the preliminary operations prior to the attack. His coolness under fire was remarkable, and his death is a great blow to the Battalion and to his brother officers, among whom he was very popular. “ His company Commander wrote of him, ‘ Those left behind will mourn him deeply...... To have known dear old Harold was an honour and to lose him a blow which will be felt more and more as time goes on. “

His body could not be found and identified after the war, and he is commemorated on the Arras Memorial in France. 

The ARRAS MEMORIAL commemorates almost 35,000 servicemen from the United Kingdom, South Africa and New Zealand who died in the Arras sector between the spring of 1916 and 7 August 1918, the eve of the Advance to Victory, and have no known grave. The most conspicuous events of this period were the Arras offensive of April-May 1917, and the German attack in the spring of 1918. Canadian and Australian servicemen killed in these operations are commemorated by memorials at Vimy and Villers-Bretonneux. A separate memorial remembers those killed in the Battle of Cambrai in 1917. Both cemetery and memorial were designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, with sculpture by Sir William Reid Dick. The memorial was unveiled by Lord Trenchard, Marshal of the Royal Air Force on the 31 July 1932 (originally it had been scheduled for 15 May, but due to the sudden death of French President Doumer, as a mark of respect, the ceremony was postponed until July).

Harold’s death was reported in the Chester Observer  21/4/1917

A melancholy duty falls to our lot once more this week in chronicling the loss in action of a number of young men from this district in the flower of their youth, the high hopes of promising careers being dashed to the ground.  Sec Lieut Harold Ewing the Kings Liverpool Regiment who was the youngest son of Mr and Mrs Ewing of Rockcliffe, Queens Park.  His commanding officer pays a fine tribute to the late second lieutenants efficiency as a soldier.  He was a member of the Royal Chester Rowing club, ten of whose rowing members have now made the last sacrifice in the War.  The flag at the Liverpool Cotton Exchange was flown at half - mast in his memory he having been well known on the Flags.  He was only twenty three years of age.

Harold is commemorated on the Cotton Association Memorial at Exchange Flags Liverpool and is also commemorated on the family headstone in Overleigh New Cemetery, Chester.

Probate Chester 19th July 1917 to his Father Charles Anthony. Effects £817 19s 5d.

Soldiers Effects to father Charles Anthony, no Pension record found.

His father died on the 5th Jan 1930 aged 74, and he was buried on the 7th Jan at Chester and his mother died on the 26th Aug 1933 aged 84, she was buried on the 29th Aug at Chester.

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