Memorials and Monuments on the Isle of Wight - Calbourne : All Saints Church : Harvey memorial

Location

In All Saints Church, Calbourne, Isle of Wight, PO30 4JQ.

IWM War Memorials Archive Record

Link : War Memorials Archive Reference 21731

Historic England Listing Status

All Saints Church is Grade II* Listed. Since the Memorial forms part of the fabric of the Church, it is assumed that it is included within the Listing.

Description and history

A diamond shaped marble plaque, on the north wall of the church.

Memorial

Inscription

IN SACRED
AND
EVERLOVING MEMORY
OF
RONALD MOWBRAY
PRIVATE : MACHINE GUN CORPS,
YOUNGEST SON OF
R.B. AND A. HARVEY
FORMERLY OF NEWBARN, CALBOURNE
HE DIED OF WOUNDS AT
ESTAIRE FRANCE ON ON JUNE 12TH 1917
AGED 22

"Until the day break
and the shadows
flee away"

Further information

From CWGC Record :

Son of Mr. and Mrs. R. B. Harvey, of Thorley Lodge, Morley, Yarmouth, Isle of Wight.

CWGC record ...

A short biography of Ronald Harvey is held in All Saints Church, from which is taken the following :

"Ronald was the third child and second son of Richard and Alice Harvey, Richard, originally from Tapnells, and Alice, from Newport, had married in 1889. They initially farmed at West Afton, but then moved to Newbarn Farm, Calbourne. Farming seems to have been a family affair with several of the children listed in the 1911 Census as employed on the farm."

At some point after war was declared in August 1914, Ronald joined the Hampshire Regiment, probably the IW Rifles. Later he transferred to the 170th Company of the Machine Gun Corps.

... The battle of Messines lasted from 7th to 14th June 1917. ... At some point Ronald Harvey was wounded - it is reasonable to assume in the battle of Messines. He was taken to a casualty clearing station at Estaires, a little further south and a few miles west of Armentieres. He died of his wounds on 12th June 1917.

... At some point after the war the Harvey family moved to Thorley Lodge. Ronald's name is not on the Calbourne War Memorial and the family erected a plaque in Calbourne Church. Unusually for such a plaque, it records the death of a private soldier, not an officer.

Ronald's mother Alice died in 1930 aged 68, and his father Richard in 1947, aged 86."

-----------------

Richard Baker Harvey married Alice Mowbray in 1889 at All Saints Church, Godshill.

On the 1891 Census return Richard and Alice Harvey are at Wilmingham Farm, Causeway, Freshwater, with their first child, Helen.

On the 1901 Census return Richard and Alice Harvey are at West Afton Farm with their four children including Richard aged 5.

On the 1911 Census return Richard and Alice Harvey are at Newbarn Farm, Calbourne. Richard Harvey described himself as a "Poor Farmer". Ronald Harvey was still at school at that time.

Ronald Harvey was formerly Pte 31598 Hampshire Regiment.

Ronald Harvey is also commemorated on the Arreton War Memorial and the Arreton Roll of Honour

Sam Biles writes in November 2017 :

Pte Harvey was in the Fromelles sector in Northern France, some 14 miles from Messines and therefore not actually involved in the battle.

I obtained the War Diary and unusually for 'Other Ranks' the incident relating to Ronald's death and his name is recorded - I paraphrase below:

-----
10th June Situation Normal 2,000 rounds fired
11th June Situation Normal 3,500 rounds fired
Cordonnerie Boutiellerie Sector
11th June Chateau Riche Dump
No 67167 Pte Harvey R.M. wounded by shell in Hudson Bay. Died shortly after admittance to hospital.
Gun put out of action by same shell
12th June Situation Normal 2,500 rounds fired
----

This indicates he was hit by a stray shell in a relatively quiet sector of the line away from the battle at Messines. Hudson Bay is presumably the nick-name of the gun emplacement.

The other point arising is that the quote from the memorial plaque also appears in shortened form on his headstone in France as: "Until the day break" - the longer version on the Calbourne plaque is "Until the day break, and the shadows flee away"

This is from the Bible - The Song of Solomon Ch 2 V 17 and in full is:
"Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether."
It is perhaps interesting that the family chose this quotation for both the plaque and the headstone; perhaps the grieving mother had in her mind's eye her handsome son, in his prime striding the downs, on their farm, like a stag, above the village of Calbourne.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Sam Biles for additional information including the extract from the War Diary for Pte Harvey's Company.

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Page updated 13 November 2017 (added details from War Diary)

Memorials & Monumentson the Isle of Wight - Calbourne : All Saints Church - - R M Harvey -

Memorials & Monuments
on the Isle of Wight
- Calbourne : All Saints Church -
- R M Harvey -