'THE GREAT WAR', 'THE
WAR TO END WAR', 'WORLD WAR 1'
'What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?
- Only the monstrous anger of the guns.'
from
'Anthem for Doomed Youth' by Wilfred Owen
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THE
BATTLE OF THE SOMME
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JULY TO NOVEMBER 1916
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SOLDIERS IN THE 24th MANCHESTER
REGIMENT
Lieutenant Harold Andrew
Lieutenant Harold Andrew, 14338
24th Manchester Battalion, Oldham Comrades
Newspaper obituary:
"Sympathy is felt with the family of Mr Andrew,
the general manager of the Oldham Gas and Water Departments,
whose only son, Lieutenant Harold Andrew, Manchester Regiment
was fatally wounded on Friday, 14th July. Earlier this week
his father got a letter from Captain Charles H. Lee, of Oldham,
intimating that Harold had been wounded. This letter appears
to have been thoughtfully forwarded to prepare the family for
the heavier blow. A letter received yesterday by Lieutenant
Andrew’s brother-in-law, Mr. Cecil Barratt of the firm
of Messrs. J. T. Barratt and Son, Union Street Oldham, from
Captain Lee, contains the following:-
'I am very grieved to have to tell you that
Harold passed away shortly after he had been wounded. It seems
that a piece of shell entered the groin and lodged in the lower
part of the body. He was leading his platoon through a wood
to clear it of the enemy when this shell burst about four yards
in front of him.
His last words were to his men to push forward to reach the
objective which he had been told to get, and he sent them all
forward except his servant, who was also wounded
I have found him a very good officer, as you will quite see
from his last order, and I am awfully cut up at losing him,
as he was also such a good pal. We had always got on so well
together …We are at present in the middle of another big
push, but I will let you have details of the burial as soon
as I can.’
Captain Lee has also written to his father, Mr
H. C. Lee, King Street, Oldham, respecting the sad event, and
says:
'…We got caught in a German counter-attack
yesterday, and had a very stiff time, but although our casualties
were heavy we managed to beat them off and hold the ground.
I am very grieved to have to tell you that Lieutenant Harold
Andrew was killed by a shell which exploded right in front of
him, and a piece of shell entered the groin and lodged in the
lower part of the body, and he died half an hour later.
He had received orders to clear a wood of the Germans and the
brave young officer was hit while leading his men forward…We
had Andrew killed, another officer wounded, two men killed and
about 40 wounded, so you can guess it was not a light job.’
Harold Andrew was 28 years of age, and was educated
at the Oldham Grammar School and the Kendal Grammar School.
Before enlisting as a private in the Oldham Comrades’ Battalion
he was in charge of the Oldham Gas Committee’s show room
at the Market Hall. He was granted a commission after a short
period of service in the ranks."
From his Service Record
CWGC
Lieutenant
date of death 14/07/1916
Pier and Face 13 A and 14 C.
THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
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