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BSM. Henry John Hartnett MSM.
British Army 114th Brigade, B Bty. Royal Field Artillery
from:Preston, Lancs
(d.18th Feb 1919)
Henry John Hartnett was born on 3rd March 1884 in Preston, Lancashire. Following in his father's footsteps, he joined the army on 23rd July 1901 at the Royal Field Artillery Barracks at Bulford in Wiltshire. And, like his grandfather, father and some years later, his son, he lied about his age which he gave as 18 years and 10 months. He was actually two years younger than that. Henry had blue eyes, dark brown hair and was 5'6". He would most certainly have spoken with a Lancashire accent.
Henry served in India for six years from January 1904 and worked his way up through the ranks and by 1913 he had made sergeant. Back in England he was stationed at the Chapeltown Barracks in Leeds. Henry John went on to become a Battery Sergeant Major, a rank he attained on 7th February 1915. Why Henry was in Glasgow is still unknown but it's where he met Jennie Beveridge and married on 27th January 1914 in the Kelvin district in Glasgow.
Stationed now in Dorset, Henry and Jennie had another son on 31st July 1915, also named Henry John Hartnett (my father). He was born at No. 4 Bell Street, Shaftsbury near the Codford military training camp in Dorset. Two months later Henry was on his way to the Western Front in France but it wasnt long before his Brigade, along with the rest of 26th Division, was shipped to Greece to fight on the Macedonian front.
Henry must have been granted home leave at some point, as on 5th August 1917, Francis Simmons Alban Hartnett was born. Jennie was living at 6 Exmouth Road.
His Division began demobilization in February 1919 but like so many soldiers in the Salonika campaign, he died of disease on Tuesday 18th February 1919 at the age of 35. Just a few days before he died, Henry John was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal. He probably never knew. He is buried in the Mikra Military Cemetery in Kalamaria in Greece. His trunk and personal effects were sent home but, over time, have been sadly lost to the family. His widow, Jennie, was sent £75 and 3d being the money owed by the Army to Henry at the time of his death. He is the grandfather I never knew but he is always remembered.
