On Chatham Naval Memorial is the name of C/KX 81984 Petty Officer Stoker Henry Walker Humes serving on H.M.S. Harvester with the Royal Navy who died 01/03/1943.
He was the son of John and Hannah Jane Humes, of Pelaw, Co. Durham and the husband of Mary Humes.
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Henry Walker Humes was the second born son of John Humes, born November 7th 1886 and Hannah Jane Simpson born 1885, both natives of Heworth, Gateshead, historically in County Durham. The couple were married October 6th 1909 in the district off Gateshead and living at 21, Heworth Village, Felling on Tyne, having taken into their home Hannah Jane’s widowed father Thomas Simpson. Hannah Jane gave birth to 3 children, Thomas, February 16th 1911, Henry Walker, December 7th 1912 and John Jnr, February 4th 1914.
Within months of John Jnr’s birth Britain declared a state of war existed with Germany, August 4th 1914. Henry’s father was one of the first to enlist in answer to Kitchener’s call to arms and was assigned as Private 275 John Humes to the newly formed 25th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers part of the New Armies. His father departed to France in January 1916 and was tragically killed on the first day of the Battles of the Somme, July 1st 1916, one of over 72,000 men who died on the Somme between 1915-1918, who have no known grave and are commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing, Somme, France. His father John was 30 years of age. Awards British War Medal and Victory Medal.
Hannah Jane received a pension for herself and their children until each in turn reached the age of 16 years.
Henry Walker Humes during WW2 served aboard HMS Harvester as Petty Officer Stoker C/KX81984. Harvester was an H-class destroyer of the Brazilian Navy bought by the Royal Navy at the beginning of WW2 in September 1939. After being commissioned, in May 1940 the ship began evacuating Allied troops from Dunkirk and other locations in France. Assigned to the Western Approaches Command for convoy escort the Harvester and another destroyer sank a German submarine in October 1940. Served briefly with Force H, May 1941 the Harvester was transferred to the Newfoundland Escort Force in June 1941 for duties in the North Atlantic. October 1941 she transferred back to the Western Approaches Command and converted to an escort destroyer. HMS Harvester was torpedoed, broke in half and sunk by U-Boat 432, March 11th 1943, while escorting Convoy HX228. The French corvette Aconite rammed and sank U-Boat 432 and then rescued Harvester’s few survivors.
Petty Officer Stoker C/KX81984 Henry Walker Humes was amongst the 9 officers and 136 ratings who went down with the ship. His sacrifice is recorded as one of the names inscribed on the Chatham Naval Memorial, Kent. The memorial in the form of an oblique commemorates those members of the Royal Navy from both world wars who have no known grave, the majority of whom were lost at sea where no permanent memorial could be raised.
Petty Officer Humes was 30 years of age and had married Mary Reay in the district of Gateshead during the 1st quarter (Jan/Feb/Mar) 1942. Probate was settled July 31st 1943 in the sum of 195 pounds and 7 pence, assigned to Mary Humes, 2, Thompson’s Place, Felling, Gateshead, County Durham.
Henry Walker’s mother, Hannah Jane Humes nee Simpson died, December 30th 1956 in the district of Gateshead, County Durham.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Henry Walker Humes is remembered at Gateshead in G39.135 page 48 and on our List of Ships’ Crews.
