Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Harold Fenwick was the 2nd eldest of his 5 surviving siblings 3 brothers and 2 sisters. His father Luke Fenwick was born in 1864 in Whickham, near Gateshead, County Durham, and married in the district of Lanchester in 1851 to Isabella Fawcett born 1868, Banstead, Hexham, Northumberland. They settled at Allendale Cottages, High Westwood, Medomsley, County Durham, where William Ernest was born March 1889, Harold, September 5th 1893, Mabel Alma, August 28th 1898 and Cecil, June 19th 1901, whilst they were living at 60, Dene Bank, Medomsley, where Luke was employed as a coal miner/stone worker, their youngest child Ida was born in 1906. In 1911 they were living at 10, Nell Terrace, Highfield, Rowlands Gill, Harold (17) had joined his father in supporting the family employed at the colliery as a driver, however, his elder brother William Ernest, although still living at Medomsley was working as a warehouseman and lived at Acron Cottage, Westwood, one of 2 boarders and by 1914 had emigrated to Australia.
When war was declared, August 4th 1914, Harold left his employment as a miner and enlisted, September 3rd 1914, assigned to the Durham Light Infantry, however, he was transferred, September 9th to the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve, as A/253. The R.N.V.R. was formed after the outbreak of war from the Royal Navy, Royal Marine Reservists and volunteers like Harold who were surplus to requirements in the Army, an idea of the then Prime Minister Winston Churchill, First Lord of the Admiralty, consisting of 8 battalions named after naval commanders, Drake, Benbow, Hawke, Collingwood, Nelson, Howe, Anson and Hood.
Harold was posted to Hood Battalion Royal Naval Division with a change of service number as Able Seaman KX419 and served before November 22nd 1914 in France and Belgium during the Defence of Antwerp then proceeded with the British Mediterranean Force to Gallipoli, as part of the 2nd (Naval) Brigade, Royal Naval Division. Arrived at Lemnos, February 6th 1915, by March 19th the Division was stationed off the Gallipoli Peninsular, however as the “great Naval attack” by British and French ships on the 18th had failed with heavy losses they were landed at Port Said in Egypt. Here they remained in order to become acclimatised and underwent training for life in the front line trenches, they re-embarked for Mudros, April 8th 1915. Wounded in the line of duty, May 6th 1915, a bullet wound to the left shoulder, Able Seaman Fenwick was evacuated to the Advance Dressing Station and on to the Casualty Clearing Station, the most important was stationed at Lancashire Landings. Stretchered onto lighters (barges), the wounded were towed the one to two miles out to sea where they were slung on to the hospital ships by crane. Having left Gallipoli and made the 2-3-day voyage, Able Seaman Fenwick arrived in Malta, and as a cot case with a minor injury, was admitted to St. Andrew’s Military Hospital. Unfortunately, his health took a turn for the worst and he died of, “BW to the left shoulder and secondary haemorrhage”, at 1.45 a.m. May 22nd 1915.
Able Seaman KX419 Harold Fenwick R.N.V.R. was interred at Pembroke Military Cemetery, Malta, at rest grave VI. 6. 2. He was 21 years of age and single. His father received his award of the 1914 Star, V.B. not issued, his mother Isabella applied for a pension.
Luke and Isabella’s grief was compounded when their eldest son serving as Private 3389 William Ernest Fenwick Australian Imperial Force, died of wounds, August 15th 1917, on active service in Belgium.
Isabella Fenwick nee Fawcett (56) died in 1923, Luke Fenwick (58) in 1924, both registered in the district of Lanchester, County Durham.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Harold Fenwick is remembered at Ebchester on E58.01 and E58.02
