Roll of Honour
Sapper Hubert Harris
Service Number: 34583
Regiment: Royal Engineers (26th Field Company)
Conflict: World War One
Date of Death: 25th April 1916
Age at Death: 23
Burial/Memorial Location: St Patrick's Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France
Son of Aloysius & Susannah Harris, of Hardwick.
"On Monday, Mr and Mrs A. Harris, of Hardwick, received the sad intelligence by private letter, from his commanding officer, that their son Bert – a sapper in the Royal Engineers – had been killed, on April 25th, by a shell. He was working in the first line of trenches and heard a bomb explode overhead. He was struck, and within a short time was dead.
On the outbreak of war, Sapper Harris was sent with his regiment – the Middlesex Territorials – to Gibraltar, and remained there for some months. On his return he felt somewhat dissatisfied with what he had done, and thought he might do more. He, accordingly, transferred to the Royal Engineers at Chatham and later to Aldershot, from whence he was drafted to France on Aug. 28. His letters home were always bright and uncomplaining and brought out how fully he realised the responsibilities of his duties." Bicester Herald 05/05/1916
"On Monday last Mr and Mrs A. Harris, of Hardwick, received the sad news that their eldest son, Hubert (Bert) had been killed in action in France. The news was unofficial, the letter being from one of the officers. The letter says that on the night of the 25th of April, the deceased, who belonged to the R.E., was at work in the front trenches when he was struck by a bomb, and terribly injured. He was taken to the dressing station, but never regained consciousness, and died in half an hour.
The young soldier was 23 years of age, and before joining the R.E. was in the Territorials. Mr Harris has one more son, Frank, who is serving in France with the Q.O.O.H. The deceased was a Catholic, and Father Reynolds, of the Catholic Church, Hethe, referring to his death on Sunday last, said that he was the third member of the congregation of the little Catholic Church at Hethe to lay down his life for his God, his King, and his Country. The other two who have been killed being Private Edwin Lane, and Lance-Corporal Cyril Adams. There are three more of the Congregation serving with the colours, and all six of the boys have been altar boys at the Roman Catholic Church. Mr A. Harris is the well known secretary of the Mansfield Lodge of Oddfellows M.U., Fringford, we are sure the whole of the members of the Banbury District of Oddfellows will extend their sympathy to Mr and Mrs A. Harris in the loss they have sustained." Bicester Advertiser 12/05/1916