21/1522 Private Charles Edward
Harrald was a patient at Beechland House, Newick after being wounded at Arras in April 1917. His entry in Nurse Oliver’s album reads:
Pte C E Harrald
24th Northd Fus
Wounded at Arras 2nd April 1917
He shares page with this page with entries from Private Angus McKenzie of the 1/5th Seaforth Highlanders, 801298 Gunner John William Thurgood of the Royal Field Artillery, Corporal W R D F Reynolds of the 3rd Royal Fusiliers and 21370 Lance-Corporal John William Williams of the 24/27th Northumberland Fusiliers.
His medal index card held at The
National Archives in Kew lists Charles E Harrald and gives the number: 21/1522. This number indicates that he was the 1522nd man to join the 21st
(Service) Battalion (2nd Tyneside Scottish) Northumberland Fusiliers; a Pals battalion - formed at Newcastle
on 26 September 1914 by the Lord Mayor and City of Newcastle.
In June 1915 it was attached to the 102nd Brigade, 34th Division.
His entry in the British War and
Victory Medal Roll notes, in this order, 21st Northumberland Fusiliers, 10th Northumberland Fusiliers,
23rd Northumberland Fusiliers and 24th Northumberland Fusiliers.
The 10th (Service) Battalion Northumberland
Fusiliers was a K3 battalion formed at Newcastle in September 1914, later attached to the 68th Brigade in the 23rd Division.
The 23rd (Service) Battalion (4th
Tyneside Scottish) Northumberland Fusiliers was formed at Newcastle on 16 November 1914 by the Lord Mayor and City of Newcastle and in June 1915 was attached to the 102nd Brigade, 34th Division.
The 24th (Service) Battalion (1st
Tyneside Irish) Northumberland Fusiliers was formed at Newcastle on 14 November 1914 by the Lord Mayor and City of Newcastle
and in June 1915 was attached to the 103rd Brigade, 34th Division.
According to Martin Middlebrook
in Your Country Needs You, “the 34th Division fought its first
battle with all of its original units on the opening day of the Battle of The Somme, attacking in the centre
of the Fourth Army against La Boiselle. The Division’s casualties - 6,380
men - was the highest of the day being over 1000 more than the next highest (the 29th Division with 5,240 men).
It is possible that Charles Harrald
was wounded in the 1916 Somme battles and then transferred to the other Northumberland Fusiliers’ battalions after recovering
from wounds.
Sources and Acknowledgements
· The
National Archives: Medal Index Card
· The
National Archives: British War and Victory Medal Roll: O/1/105 B22: Page 4654: WO
329/699
· British
Regiments 1914-18 by Brigadier E A James OBE TD (Samson Books, 1978)
· Your
Country Needs You by Martin Middlebrook (Pen & Sword Books, 2000)
