Name
Harold Edwin Handscombe
1898
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
30/12/1917
19
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Air Mechanic 2nd Class
64199
Royal Flying Corps
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
Headstone Inscription
He has no Headstone. He is commemorated on the Chatby Memorial in Egypt to the missing.
UK & Other Memorials
Cheshunt Town Memorial, Christ Church (Formerly Holy Trinity Church) Memorial Waltham Cross
Pre War
Harold Edward Handscombe was born in Waltham Cross,
Hertfordshire, in 1898, son of Arthur Handscombe a, Gun Machinist at the Royal Small Arms Factory and Ada
Frances Handscombe (nee Robertson). The youngest of three sons.
He was Baptised in the Parish of Waltham Cross, Herts, on
the 7th September 1898.
1901 Census records Harold aged 2, living with his parents,
brothers Arthur (7) and Stanley (5) at, 2 Burleigh Road, Cheshunt Herts.
1911 Census records the family now living at, 28 York Road,
Waltham Cross, Herts.
Wartime Service
In March 1917 Harold travelled to Farmborough, Hampshire to
enlist in the Royal Flying Corps, Military Wing, for 4 years with the Colours
and 4 years in the Reserve. Enlisting on the 5th March 1917; he gave
his age as 18yrs. & 6 Months and his occupation as a Gunsmith he was issued
with the service number 64199. On completion of his training, he held the Rank
of Air Mechanic 2nd Class.
Harold drowned at sea on 30th December 1917, he
was a passenger aboard HMTS “Aragon” which had sailed from Marseilles, France
on 17th December 1917 for Alexandria, Egypt.
HMTS “Aragon” arrived in convoy at Alexandria on the 30th
December 1917, but was not allowed in to the port, she was at anchor outside of
the port when she was Torpedoed by the German U-Boat UC-34 under the Command of
Horst Obermuller and sank. The Destroyer HMS “Attack” was also Torpedoed by
UC-34 when she went to assist with the rescue.
HMTS “Aragon” was full to capacity with around 2,700 on board,
610 were lost of which 19 were ship’s crew, Harold being one of the casualties. His
body was never recovered, he is commemorated on the Chatby Memorial in Egypt to
the missing.
Note.
A number of Hertfordshire men were also lost when HMTS “Aragon”
sank, as she was carrying reinforcements for the 5th Battalion, Bedfordshire
Regiment.
Acknowledgments
Stuart Osborne
Jonty Wild
