Lest We Forget

I had the opportunity (a better word might be 'misfortune') of travelling last week on the Beaumont Hamel. While crossing the run I recalled an incident (a few years back now) of teaching in Venture Academy, and the hype of our getting a new ferry, and how the students were being given the opportunity of suggesting a name for said ferry. This suggestion, I am sure, had originated in some government office and not from within the school. I remember taking this very seriously and everyone in my class, and I am sure other classes as well, made a suggestion. It seemed that someone's suggestion would be chosen and we were thinking that this would be an unique honour for some student. We had hardly finished the exercise when it was announced that the name of the ferry had already been decided and that it would be the Beaumont Hamel. Our exercise had been the classic exercise in futility. The suggestions of the students on Fogo Island (and perhaps Change Islands) never left their respective islands; they were most likely destroyed. But who could criticize the name? It would have been blasphemous. I ask any teacher today, though, to stand in front of any class and ask them to write down a few things that come to mind with the words 'Beaumont Hamel', and without a doubt most would say 'a ferry', and if asked to pursue, one can be sure such words as 'inadequate', 'rusty', and others not so choice would be forthcoming. I suspect the same would be true if you ask any adult either on Fogo Island or Change Islands. Considering the present state of affairs and some of the horror stories some have regarding that present ferry, one might wonder if such a noble name and all it represents was such a good idea for the ferry. Meanwhile, the purpose of this piece is not about that ferry, but one Fogo Islander, L/Cpl. Frank Harnett, who paid the supreme sacrifice in the Battle of Beaumont Hamel. It was he that I researched for my Remembrance Day piece this year.

Lance/Corporal Frank Harnett

In 1910 there were living in Wild Cove, Seldom Come By, Mr. and Mrs. Mark and Mary Harnett and family. I have not been able to ascertain the full extent of their family except for their two sons, Walter and Frank. Walter would have been around twenty-nine years of age and his brother Frank, twenty-five. Both of them were fishermen, single, and I am presuming, living with their parents. In 1914 World War I broke out, and Walter was one of the first 500 to sign up for war. In 1915, his brother Frank also signed up and was a casualty of the Battle of Beaumont Hamel. The rest of this piece is about him.

According to his Attestation Paper he was 30 years old, weighed 157 pounds, had light brown hair and blue eyes. The one distinguishing mark noted was that he had a 'strawberry' mark on his chin. He gave his occupation as fisherman and that his wages for the past season was $250.00. He had worked previously, as did his brother, for five years for the R.N.R. (Reid Newfoundland Railway?). The date of his enlistment was June 7, 1915. Then, after sincerely promising to be 'faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty and that he would faithfully serve him in any place where he may be needed,' he was assigned No 1612 of the First Newfoundland Regiment. He had also signed a form so that 60 cents a day be deducted from his pay for his mother, Mary. Eighteen dollars a month would not have been an insignificant amount in 1915.

On the 17th day of June, just ten days later, he embarked for the United Kingdom on the SS Calgarian. On the 6th of December, 1915, he was promoted to Lance/Corporal. On the 13th of March, 1916 he embarked Devonport, England, for the British Expeditionary Service via Egypt, disembarked Marseilles, France, and joined that battalion on the 8th of April, 1916.

Lance/Corporal Frank Harnett, No. 1612, of Wild Cove, Fogo Island, was killed in action at Beaumont Hamel on the 1st of July, 1916, a little over a year after enlisting. Let me now review briefly the Battle of Beaumont Hamel.

Most of us are too familiar with the horrible statistics of the Battle of the Somme which was mainly a British offensive on the river Somme in France. (The Battle of Beaumont Hamel was the first offensive in the Battle of the Somme) The plan was to break the German defenses and clear a path for the cavalry through the English Channel. The First Newfoundland Regiment was assigned with a battalion from the Essex Regiment to take the enemy line, by which time it was expected there would be little opposition. The Germans, however, knew of the planned assault and were prepared. At 2AM July 1st the Newfoundland regiment completed a five-hour march to the trenches. At 8:45 they were ordered to support the 87th Brigade, and had to cross 900 meters of exposed front alone, in broad daylight, with no allied battery fire covering them. The Battle of Beaumont Hamel was over for the First Newfoundland Regiment in less than half an hour. 733 of 801 men in the first Newfoundland Regiment were killed or wounded. Only 68 answered the roll call the next day. One of the ones killed, as already stated, was L/Cpl Frank Harnett, of Wild Cove. (I pause here to quote a pertinent paragraph from John Masefield's "The Old Front Line". I can still remember memorizing those lines while in grade nine, perhaps, and they are as poignant to me today as they were back then:
"The hand of time rested on the half-hour mark and all along that old front line of the English there came a whistling and a crying. The men of the front wave climbed up the parapets, in the tumult, darkness, and the presence of death, and having done with all pleasant things, advanced across No Man's Land to begin the Battle of the Somme.)

It is not likely that the Harnett family or anyone else on Fogo Island was aware of this battle and slaughter for some time. However, on July 31st, 1916, Mrs. Harnett did receive this telegram from J.R. Bennett, Colonial Secretary: "Regret to inform you that the Record Office, London, officially reports No 1612, L/Corp, Frank Harnett is missing. Upon receipt of further information I shall immediately wire you." Even now, we might want to speculate that this was a portent to prepare the family for the sad news of their son's death. On the other hand, it would take some time to make certain that he was not a prisoner of war, as indeed some must have been. We can only imagine the grief of the Harnett family in particular and of the community of Wild Cove in general.

It was not until the 23rd of November of that year that the Harnett family really did get the sad news regarding the death of their son Frank. This is the substance of that particular letter from J.R. Bennett, Colonial Secretary:
"For some time past the Imperial Government has been making enquiries in relation to those men of the 1st Newfoundland regiment who have been reported missing since the action of the 1st July. I very much regret to state, however, that from the correspondence which has taken place, a copy of which I enclose, it is evident that none of these are prisoners of war in Germany, and the authorities are, therefore, reluctantly forced to the conclusion that all these gallant men, whose names are given in the enclosed list, and one of these was very dear to you, were killed in that fateful action on the 1st of July.

I desire to express to you on behalf of the Government, as well as for myself, the sincerest sympathy in this time of sorrow. We feel the loss of our loved ones, but it will, no doubt be some consolation to you to think that he, for whom you now mourn, willingly answered the call of King and Country, did his part nobly, and fell, facing the foe in defense of the principles of Righteousness, Truth, and Liberty. Though he has laid down the earthly weapons of warfare, he now wears the Soldier's Crown of Victory, and will be held in fragrant memory by all his fellow countrymen. When the Victory is won, and Peace again reigns upon the earth, it will be a comforting thought to you that in this glorious achievement he bore no small part. I trust that you may have the Grace and consolation of the Great Father of us all at this time."

A year or so later on December 20th, 1917, Frank's father, Mark received this letter from the Captain and Paymaster to this extent: "I enclose herewith a cheque for $42.04, being the amount due you as administrator of the estate of the late L/Cpl. F. Harnett. I also enclose letter of Administration

On February 19th 1920, Mrs. Mary Harnett wrote Lieut Col. Rendell stating with thanks that she had received the Memorial Scroll of her son Frank which he had sent her. This particular letter can still be seen in her own handwriting.

On February 26th, 1920, the same Mr. Rendell wrote Mrs. Harnett telling her that he had sent back the Cemetery Register Form to her as she had omitted to fill in a certain space which was intended for a personal inscription or a text to be placed on her son's headstone. He had asked her to return it with the space filled in. (This particular headstone is in Knightsbridge cemetery, one of the 243 cemeteries on the Somme battlefield.)

Mrs. Harnett responded to this letter on March 9th, 1920, stating that she did not wish to take advantage of having a personal inscription or text because she had placed in the Wild Cove Cemetery, on Fogo Island a memorial for her son. All she wanted, other than his name and rank, etc., was a cross engraved in the center of the stone.

On August 18th, 1921, Mrs. Mary Harnett returned a form issued by the Department of Militia in St. John's acknowledging receipt of the Memorial Plaque issued in respect of services of her son, Frank Harnett of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment

The final correspondence was dated September 3rd, 1921, which stated that the Victory Medal and the British War Medal awarded posthumously had been forwarded to Mary Harnett (Mother) in respect of the services Frank Harnett, Royal Newfoundland regiment. Mrs. Harnett acknowledged receipt of same on the 20th September, 1921.

The people of Newfoundland were not remiss in building a suitable memorial at Beaumont Hamel and it was officially opened by Field Marshall Earle Haig on June 7th, 1925. It commemorated all Newfoundlanders who fought in the Great War, particularly those who have no known grave, and this of course includes L/Corp Frank Harnett of Wild Cove. On a mound, surrounded by rock and shrubs native to Newfoundland, there stands a great bronze caribou, the emblem of the 1st Newfoundland Regiment, facing in the direction of the former foe. At the base of the mound three bronze tablets carry the names of 820 members of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, the Royal Naval Reserve, and the Mercantile Marines who gave their lives in World War I and have no grave. At the entrance to this memorial are those touching words by John Oxenham:

As with bowed head and heart abased
Strive hard to grasp the future gain in this sore loss,
For not one foot of this dank sod
But drank its surfeit of the blood of gallant men
Who for their Faith, their Hope, for Life and Liberty
Here made the sacrifice,
Here gave their lives, and right willingly for you and me.

There are many who walk the trail from Seldom-Come-By to Wild Cove, especially during the summer. It would truly be worthwhile to seek L/Cpl Frank Harnett's memorial in the cemetery there. As I conclude this piece, I am wondering what may have happened to his medals and kit-bag. Perhaps they are the treasured mementoes of one of his family's descendents. I am assuming, by the way, that Frank Harnett presently of Seldom-Come-Bye is a name-sake and a perhaps a descendent of Mary and Mark.

PS: Other related casualties of Beaumont Hamel were L/Cpl Edwin Shave; Pte Edward Butler (Both of Fogo); L/Cpl Richard Hynes (Indian Islands); Archibald Porter (Change Islands). Remember when we would wear forget-me-nots on July 1st?