Pte
Harry Wilfred Havens
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 03/03/1887 |
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Place of birth: Jacksonville, New Brunswick, Canada |
General information
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Last known residence: Jacksonville, New Brunswick, Canada |
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Profession: Farmer |
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Religion: Methodist |
Army information
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Country: Canada |
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Force: Canadian Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Private |
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Service number: 817921 |
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Enlistment date: 18/12/1915 |
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Enlistment place: Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada |
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Units: — Canadian Infantry, 26th Bn. (New Brunswick) (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 06/11/1917 |
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Place of death: Crest Farm, Passchendaele, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 30 |
Cemetery
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Tyne Cot Cemetery Plot: XXXV Row: E Grave: 5 |
Points of interest 4
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Last known residence | ||
| #3 | Enlistment place | ||
| #4 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Harry Wilfred Havens, a farmer from Jacksonville, Newbrunswick, volunteered for the war in late 1915. He was assigned to the 26th Canadian Infantry Battalion (New Brunswick), 5th Canadian Brigade, 2nd Canadian Division and died almost two years later on 6 November 1917 during the capture of Passchendaele.
On the chilly morning of 6 November, the Canadians launched their attack on the heights around Passchendaele. The task was entrusted to the 1st and 2nd Divisions. The barrage was extremely intense. To give the German machine guns as few shooting opportunities as possible, the Canadians followed the barrage closely. The 2nd Division, on the right, advanced towards the ruins of Passchendaele. The 27th, 28th and 31st Battalions of the 6th Brigade moved into the village. While the 5th Brigade with the 26th Battalion protected the right flank and advanced along the Broodseinde-Passendale road, towards Tiber and Grün. Their headquarters was in a bunker at Hillside Farm. By 8.45 am, the village, or what remained of it, was in Canadian hands. That evening, the 26th Battalion was relieved by the 25th Battalion (Nova Scotia Rifles).
Harry would not return from Passchendaele. He died as a result of concussion from a shell that struck nearby, around 8am on 6 November 1917. He was buried between Crest Farm and the Passchendaele street. His remains were re-interred at Tyne Cot Cemetery after the war. The 30-year-old left behind his wife Alice, a 4-year-old son Donald and a 2-year-old daughter Muriel.
On the chilly morning of 6 November, the Canadians launched their attack on the heights around Passchendaele. The task was entrusted to the 1st and 2nd Divisions. The barrage was extremely intense. To give the German machine guns as few shooting opportunities as possible, the Canadians followed the barrage closely. The 2nd Division, on the right, advanced towards the ruins of Passchendaele. The 27th, 28th and 31st Battalions of the 6th Brigade moved into the village. While the 5th Brigade with the 26th Battalion protected the right flank and advanced along the Broodseinde-Passendale road, towards Tiber and Grün. Their headquarters was in a bunker at Hillside Farm. By 8.45 am, the village, or what remained of it, was in Canadian hands. That evening, the 26th Battalion was relieved by the 25th Battalion (Nova Scotia Rifles).
Harry would not return from Passchendaele. He died as a result of concussion from a shell that struck nearby, around 8am on 6 November 1917. He was buried between Crest Farm and the Passchendaele street. His remains were re-interred at Tyne Cot Cemetery after the war. The 30-year-old left behind his wife Alice, a 4-year-old son Donald and a 2-year-old daughter Muriel.
Sources 4
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26th Canadian Infantry Battalion (Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa (LAC) RG9-III-D-3, Volume number: 4934, Microfilm reel number: T-10737--T-10738, File number: 421). https://library-archives.canada.ca Sources used |
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McCarthy Chris., Passchendaele. The Day-by-Day Account (London, Unicorn Publishing Group, 2018). Sources used |
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Personnel Records of the First World War (Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa (LAC), RG 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 4159 - 5). https://library-archives.canada.ca Sources used |
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War Graves Registers: Circumstances of Death (Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa (LAC), RG 150, 1992-93/314; Volume Number: 190). https://library-archives.canada.ca Sources used |
More information 4
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/463110 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/5926528 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=a734f626-3512-43a0-be5b-4326a7ab2441 |
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The Canadian Virtual War Memorial https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/463110 |