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World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great 1914 1918 first battalion regiment
Capt. John Harold Pritchard
British Army 2nd Battalion Honourable Artillery Company
from:4 Eaton Terrace, London
(d.15th May 1917)
Captain John Harold Pritchard enlisted in the HAC in 1909 and was sent to France at the outbreak of war in 1914. He started in the 1st Battalion and after a second injury was invalided home in March 1915. When he returned he was Captain of the 2nd Battalion and ended up at Bullecourt, near Arras, fighting on the Hindenburg Line. On May 15th 1917 he lead his men one more time and was killed along with many of his comrades.
As a young boy he had attended St Paul's Cathedral School and sang as a chorister at the cathedral, along with his two brothers. The Cathedral has plaques to the choristers who died serving their country and each one is named. In the Minor Canon's Aisle you will find Captain Pritchard commemorated.
The story had ended there for our family, until January 2012 when I was searching the internet for information on my family tree. JHP as he has come to be known, was my Great Uncle - my nan's brother. When I entered his name I came across the excellent Great War Forum where they were discussing how to find relatives of Captain Pritchard. I looked at the date - they were discussing it in 2010 and it turns out his body had been discovered, in the field where he had fallen, as long ago as 2009. The MoD had been looking for family ever since. They had put a new notice on the War Graves Commission website only last November, so I emailed the address given and went to bed!
The next day my phone was red hot with relieved officials and now we can begin the process of burying this man with military honours in France. He will be re-buried with his family present to give thanks for his bravery and sacrifice. It is a long haul and we are only at the beginning. My wider family is thrilled, particularly my father's brother who, like my late father, is the nephew of this Captain. We continue to find out more about his life.
He was an Officer of WW1 who may yet become a symbol for others to keep searching and never give up hope. Although it is increasingly less likely to be able to identify bodies now, JHP had his metal tag on and I believe a pistol. It turned out to be harder to identify his present family! Music has come down through the generations - I and another cousin are professional singers and we plan a concert in Bullecourt this summer (2012) to celebrate his life and the many others he knew. It turns out that his sword went to America and the man who owns it now has been in touch and sent photos for us.
I think you may get to hear of this story over time, but one thing is for sure, it was just by chance that I entered the name of a fallen hero and now our generation will have the responsibility of laying him in his final resting place. We are the lucky ones who will also have a grave to visit. Thank you John Harold and may you finally rest in peace.
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