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LEVERSTOCK GREEN WAR MEMORIAL 1914 - 1918
FREDERICK HARROWELL
The Hertfordshire town of Tring is in a salient pushing into Buckinghamshire’s Aylesbury Vale, a picturesque area of rolling landscape with small hamlets, from this area came two families united in marriage and loss, with family members Frederick Harrowell and Frederick Johnson recorded on the Leverstock Green war memorial.
Sarah Gill and Daniel Johnson were married in the summer of 1863, living at Buckland. Their Grandson, Frederick Johnson would be named on the Leverstock Green memorial. Sarah Gills brother George, became a brick maker and moved from the Tring area to Leverstock Green, working at the brickworks in Bennetts End, Georges daughter, Lizzie Alice Gill came with the family moving to Balcony, Leverstock Green around 1880. In Leverstock Green church, Lizzie married Alfred Harrowell during February 1894. Frederick was born a few months later, on the 12th of April 1894, with his baptism in the village church on 13th May. Alfred's was a local agricultural family and he was employed as a farm labour at the time of his marriage to Alice who had been a Domestic servant.
CHURCH ROW with village pond, now filled in.
The family lived at number 2 Church Row and by 1901 Alfred was a labour at the brick Works. Lizzie father George was now the foreman at Acorn brickworks in Bennetts End. At his burial in the village church the brickworks closed so the staff could attend his funeral. The position of foreman was given to Alfred in later years along with a move to Acorn Cottage in Bennett’s End.
Frederick attended the village school and on leaving worked as a labourer at one of the paper mills.
The bombing in 1940 by the Luftwaffe of the records offices in London destroyed Fredericks service records but using records that have survived I have pieced together Fred's movements.
Fred enlisted during the last days of September 1915 at Marlows recruitment office in Hemel Hempstead for the 3/1st Hertfordshire Yeomanry, issued with a service number of 2606. After basic training is finished the troopers were trained for horse warfare, moving down to Maresfield in Sussex, this was a large all arms training camp.
The 1/1 was the fighting arm of the Hertfordshire Yeomanry, comprised of men who had volunteered to serve overseas, the 2/1 remained a 'home service' unit and did so throughout the war. 3/1st was for training soldiers.
The Hertfordshire Yeomanry served for most of the war as lines of communication troops, this means each troop served as a single unit. In March 1916 the Regiment was split up, RHQ with A Squadron were attached to the 54th Division, later A Squadron joined XXI Corps, Cavalry in Palestine. B Squadron was attached to the 11th Division, in England until on 12 July 1916 joined VI Corps Cavalry, until early in 1917 when it moved to join XVIII Corps, Cavalry. In May 1917 it became GHQ Troops. In July 1917 it returned to Egypt and in May 1918 joined XXI Corps Cavalry in Palestine. D Squadron moved to Mesopotamia, initially on Lines of Communication duties and in July 1916 it was attached to the 13th Division, until December of that year when they moved to III (Tigris) Corps Cavalry. In August 1917 they were attached to the 15th Indian Infantry Division, and in May 1918 they were tasked with Lines of Communication duties with the North Persia Force
Soldiers of the Hertfordshire Yeomanry in Egypt with the Camel Corp behind.
Just which troop Frederick served has yet to be obtained, but he died in Palestine of Malaria on 3rd October 1918.
MEMORIAL
Frederick was included on the order of service for the parish church at Easter 1919, and was named on the village school memorial, the Leverstock Green memorial as well as Hemel Hempstead town memorial and on the Hertfordshire Yeomanry memorial in St Albans Abbey, and his parent’s grave stone in the village church yard. He is buried in Ramleh War Cemetery, Israel plot CC, grave 16. He was 24 years old.
Fred remembered on his parents grave
COPY OF FREDS DEATH CERTIFICATE FROM 1999
Western Front Association pension record for Frederick
In a twist of fate of all the soldiers named on the war memorial, Fred was born closest to the memorials position and is buried furthest from it.
LEVERSTOCK GREEN WAR MEMORIAL 1914 - 1918
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