James Knox Hart

James Knox Hart senior was born during 1849 in Hawick, Roxburghshire, Scotland. He married his wife Christine Berth Lewis in Holborn, London, on Christmas Eve 1884. James and Christine moved to Boxmoor in Hemel Hempstead where daughter Elizabeth was born 31^st May 1885, before taking over Leverstock Green Farm around 1886. This farm situated in the centre of the village would stay in James hands until the end of World War One when he and Christine retired to Manor Street in Berkhamsted.

Mr Hart often had an advert in the local papers applying for workers.

PLOUGHMAN. — WANTED good Ploughman; 22/- per week.—Apply Hart, Leverstock Green Farm, Hemel Hempstead.

The farmhouse and outbuildings are still in existence although the land was built over with houses during the 1960s. The barn used as billets by the Queen's Westminster Rifles in 1914 has been converted to modern apartments, far more luxurious now. A private Wilkinson wrote, the horses slept downstairs and we slept in the loft above.

The Harts children, Elizabeth, their first, born in Boxmoor during 1885, followed in Leverstock Green by Amelia Margret 1887, John 1889, Alice Christine 1891, Berth Harriet 1892, James 14th January 1895 and Annie Septima 1897. To help with the children Christine employed 14 year old Edith Rose, daughter of Emma Rose the landlady of the Masons Arms in Balcony.

Within the family there was a policy of baptising children at the age of 16 years, this happened to James at the village church in 1911. James was in Swifts House at Berkhamsted Grammar school for seven years and on leaving went to Chelmsford Agricultural college.

August 4^th 1914 war was declared and by the 17^th the Queen's Westminster Rifles have arrived in the Green walking from London to take up their war station. The battalion was billeted around the various farms and houses until leaving on 1^st November. The Harts had F Company billeted with them.

December 1915 and Hemel town council have set up a war agriculture sub-committee. On which James Hart senior had a seat. Its purpose was to increase production of locally grown food. One decision was where German prisoners could best be allotted for work.

As James service records did not survive the Second World War bombing his military life can only be summarised. The Gazette listed James as having joined the army by March 1916, he enlisted in London as Rifleman 3871 in the 2/5^th battalion London Rifle Brigade, 174th Brigade of the 58^th London Division.

The battalion went over to France on the 25^th January 1917. Leaving Sutton Venn, Wiltshire during the morning by using two trains to transport the battalion to Southampton, then sailing to Le Havre during a terrific storm, this storm forced back to England a boat carrying one party. On the 1^st February the battalions has its first venture into the front line and the soldiers were mixed with two veteran battalions who would show the do and don’ts.

James first assault would be on the 17th May with an attack on the village of Bullecourt, this attack was a complete success although an officer fell down a well and was rescued 6 hours later completely exhausted.

October 1^st 1917 and the 2/5^th London’s are at rest in Licques until the 20^th, taking a march to Anqruicq and a train ride to Poperinge taking billets in the town until the 24^th. Then a move to a place named Siege camp situated on the outskirts of Ypres. Two days later the battalion marches out at 4p.m. to dugouts situated by the canal bank and for the next two days are used as working parties. On the 29^th the battalion march to the front around the town of Poelcapelle, 3 miles from the village of Passchendaele.

At 5 50 a.m. zero hour, two battalions in the brigade attack the Germans front lines, the 2/5^th London’s are reserves. With a move forward to Pheasant Farm, the battalion are dispersed in shell holes around Rose trench, taking considerable shelling during the day, as the Germans try to disrupt the army’s movements. At 5p.m. the 2/5th London’s are order to take over the front line from the two attacking battalions and send out strong patrols to clean up any German pockets still hidden or missed during the day’s assault.

Next day the 2/5^th London’s attempted to consolidate the area with A company pushing out to their left trying to locate sight of D company. At 5p.m. one platoon of D company attacks in a north easterly direction over ground churned into a quagmire making any movement very difficult. The Germans had also fortified some shell holes with machine guns so the attack met strong opposition. A few soldiers reached the Germans and took their positions but could not hold on and were forced to withdraw.

Patrols were sent out to locate any wounded and the battalion was relieved during the night. The days fighting had cost the 2/5^th London’s 8 killed, 4 missing and 10 wounded.

The letter below was published in the Gazette on November 10^th 1917, written by Captain Wilkinson the commanding officer of D company.

Dear Sir

It is my painful duty to inform you that your son,

Rifleman Hart, of my company was

Killed in action at about 5 p.m. on the 31^st October.

I am afraid this will be a blow for you, and I write

To tender you my deep and sincere sympathy. He was a

Splendid fellow and died nobly doing his duty and

Inspired his comrade by his magnificent example.

I knew him will and valued as one of my best men,

Had he survived I was intending to make him an N.C.O.

Again assuring you of my very sincere sympathy.

I have the honour to be sir,

Your obedient servant.

H. L. Wilkinson

Captain London Rifle Brigade

MEMORIAL

James was 22 years old and included on the order of service for the parish church at Easter 1919 and named on the Leverstock Green war memorial, Hemel Hempstead memorial, Berkhamsted school roll of honour and in Belgium, panel 150 of the Tyne Cot Memorial to the missing.

TYNE COT MEMORIAL

The Knox Hart must have been well known as James and the Knox Hart family are mentioned in the papers on a number of occasions during the war years. The Hawick News in Scotland mention James death and his sister Bertha's marriage to an American in the British Embassies church. The Hertfordshire Mercury, Essex County Chronicle all mention James death.

Elizabeth, when aged 40, married William Richard Cecil Pratt in Berkhamstead during 1925, William, in F Company, was one of the soldiers of The Queens Westminster Rifles stationed at the Knox Harts farm in Leverstock Green in 1914, some 9 years before. A son Richard William Pratt was born in Richmond in 1932, when Elizabeth was aged 47. Richard would become a renown authority on stamps.

Amelia, aged 33, married William Wilson, 3^rd son of Thomas Mills Wilson of Glasgow on 3^rd February 1920 at St Peters, Piccadilly, London. She died in Maidstone, Kent in 1975

John attended Berkhamstead Boys School between 1902 and 1906, he never married and on the 1939 census is a retired farmer living with his mum and his unmarried sister, Alice.

Bertha married Bruno Sternberg of Milwaukee, U.S.A. at the British Embassy church in London on 13^th July 1916. Berth sailed to New York with Bruno from Bordeaux on 17^th December 1916. Berth died in Milwaukee in 1921, aged 28.

Annie Married George Roy Seymour Clothier in 1919. George was a soldier in the New Zealand army and was invalided to the Knox Harts farm after being injured in Belgium, both went to live in New Zealand. Annie died living at Hutt, Wellington during 1960.

Picture cutesy of Steve Hammond

Thanks to Jo Mackenzie in New Zealand for information on family and picture of Annie who was Jo grandmother