Name
Randall John Harwood
1 January 1888
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
12/08/1916
26
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Lance Corporal
5295
Hertfordshire Regiment
1st Bn.
4 Coy.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ST. QUENTIN CABARET MILITARY CEMETERY
I. A. 30.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
None
UK & Other Memorials
4 Co' Hertfordshire Reg' Territorials’ Memorial, Hitchin, St Mary's Church Roll of Honour, Hitchin, Ayot St Peter Village Memorial, St Peter's Church Roll of Honour, Ayot St Peter, St Mary the Virgin Church Roll of Honour, Welwyn, Welwyn & Woolmer Green Internal Memorial, Welwyn, Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford
Pre War
Randal John Harwood was born in Welwyn on 1st January 1888 the son of Alfred and Sarah Alma Harwood of White Hill Cottages, Welwyn, His father was a gardener and his wife Sarah Alma, the daughter of Charles Philpot who was a Crimean War veteran. Randal was educated at St. Peter's School, Ayot in Hertfordshire and later became a gardener.
In 1891 the family were living at White Hill. Welwyn, Herts. and they remained at that address in all the censuses below Present were both parents: Alfred (37) and Sarah (36), with Alfred working as a gardener’s labourer. Their children were: Alfred (13), Elizabeth M (12), Charles (10), Richard (7), Arthur (5), Randall John (3) and Margaret (1).
In 1901 both parents were present, with Alfred recorded as a gardener. Of the above children Alfred and Elizabeth were missing, and Margaret was listed as Maggie. New siblings were Rose (9), Cecil (6) and Albert (3). Also present was Charles Philpott (83) – Alfred’s father in law.
In 1911 both parents were present, with Alfred recorded as a garden labourer. The census recorded they had been married for 34 years with 12 children, of whom 4 had died. Of the children, those now present were Randal, now 23 and working as a garden labourer, Rose, Cecil, Albert.
He was educated at St. Peter's School, Ayot St Peter, Nr. Welwyn, Hertfordshire and was working as a gardener on the 1911 Census, the same as his father, who was a gardener at The Frythe, Welwyn.
In 1913 Randal and his brother (Cecil) were involved in a road traffic accident. They were cycling to Ayot Green and joining the Great North Road, when they encountered a motor car. Apparently Cecil turned across it causing it to swerve, hit Randall, and turning on to its side on the verge, throwing out its occupants, Mr and Mrs Smith. They escaped uninjured, but Randall was taken to Sherrards House where a doctor attended and found him to have shock, concussion and bruising.
He tried to enlist in August 1914 and was rejected, but after an operation was able to enlist in June 1915.
Officially Randall was recorded as living in Welwyn when he enlisted there.
Wartime Service
Randal went to France in May 1916 and was killed in action at Armentieres. He was serving with 4 Company of the Hertfordshire Regiment, but at the time of his death appears to have been attached to the Gloucestershire Regiment. He was killed on the same day as Alfred Shepherd, also from Ayot St Peter, and they are buried in the same cemetery.
The Regiment was part of the 118th Brigade in the 39th Division. According to the Regimental history, in the Spring and Summer of 1916, they were not involved in any important engagements. At the beginning of March they were in Ebbingham a few miles east of GHQ at St. Omer and for the next few months were probably used in support, relief and to provide working parties where necessary for other units situated nearer the front. This would account for men being killed in the area of Festubert between May and early August and north of Ploegsteert in mid-August 1916.
He is buried in Plot I, Row A, Grave 30 in the St. Quentin Cabaret Military Cemetery, Havilland, West-Laverne in Belgium.
Additional Information
Listed as a Private on the regimental memorial and as acting Lance Corporal in the SDITGW. His father received a war gratuity of £4 and pay owing of £6 16s 7d. His mother received a pension of £4 6s a week. Cousin to Harold William Philpott also named on the Ayot St Peter Memorial.
His pension cards record Sarah Alice Harwood, his mother, as his dependant and living at White Hill. Welwyn, Herts.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Adrian Dunne, David C Baines, Jonty Wild, www.ayotstpeter.com
