Family :

Service Life:

Campaigns:

• The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.

31 July - 10 November 1917. By the summer of 1917 the British Army was able for the first time to fight on its chosen ground on its terms. Having secured the southern ridges of Ypres at Messines in June, the main attack started on 31st July 1917 accompanied by what seemed like incessant heavy rain, which coupled with the artillery barrages conspired to turn much of the battlefield into a bog. Initial failure prompted changes in the high command and a strategy evolved to take the ring of ridges running across the Ypres salient in a series of 'bite and hold' operations, finally culminating in the capture of the most easterly ridge on which sat the infamous village of Passchendaele. The Official History carries the footnote ?The clerk power to investigate the exact losses was not available? but estimates of British casualties range from the official figure of 244,000 to almost 400,000. Within five months the Germans pushed the British back to the starting line, which was where they had been since May 1915.

Detail :

2nd Lieutenant HAROLD CHARLES ORGAN - Killed in action 9th October 1917 - 4th Battalion Aged 28. Son of Charles and Laura, of Gloucester. Husband of Eleanor. Once deputy organist at Gloucester Cathedral.

Although no direct association with H.C. Organ's name, a "Post Mortem" of the events of the 9th October 1917 exists as written 5 days later by the Commanding Officer of the 4th Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment, in the area of Poelcappelle. It was in answer to the questions demanded of the Divisional Commander. It shows the development of an operation in execution and what the officers and men had expected of them to reach objectives, to be on time to ensure a plan went to a particular timescale. In reality, a number of failings including synchronising artillery barrage and communications between own and neighbouring units. Never a truer word said in the quote: "No plan survives contact with the enemy", but despite the shortfalls of this plan, it alludes to the determination of the officers and men to achieve it.

"This also greatly hindered the collection of casualties, the Germans sniped a great deal of stretcher bearers on the 9th inst. On the 10th., however, they were left alone probably because large enemy stretcher parties were out collecting their wounded under the Red Cross Flag.".

"The chief reasons learnt were with regard to the barrage; 4 minutes before the first lift was not sufficient; with the ground in its present condition, 10 or even 15 minutes would not be too much to allow the infantry to get well up to it."

In his summary and opinion in explaining the action to the Divisional Commander, "the reason why we failed to take our objectives were (a) The exhaustion of the men, most of whom had been tramping over the heavy ground for the greater part of the night (b) The sodden condition of the ground, (c) That the barrage was lost after the first lift and never caught up again."

His name is listed amongst nine names of Freemasons of the Province of Gloucestershire, located at Gloucester Cathedral in the Cloisters, which was reported in the Gloucester Journal 30th October 1920: "WAR MEMORIAL ERECTED IN THE CATHEDRAL. A bronze masonic memorial tablet has recently been erected in Gloucester Cathedral to the memory of Freemasons of the Province of Gloucestershire who fell in the Great War. The tablet which was designed by Mr. N.H. Waller of College Green, Gloucester, and executed by Messrs. Martyn of Cheltenham, ahs been surmounted by masonic emblems, and placed within the cuspated stone panelling of the north wall of the Cloisters- a most appropriate position in view of the fact that the north walk owes its restoration to the munificence of the Freemasons of the county-and it has been deservedly admired by all who have seen it. Nine names are recorded in the order of Lodges to which the deceased respectively belonged."

He is additionally commemorated at a memorial at Crediton - Church of the Holy Cross Devon, as reported in the Western Times on the 16th April 1920: "A beautiful marble tablet, erected to the memory of Mr. Harold C. Organ, who was for some time organist of the Parish Church, Crediton, was on Wednesday unveiled and dedicated at a special service, at which a good number were present including the widow (Mrs. Organ). The service was conducted by the Vicar (Rev. Preb. W.M. Smith-Dorrien) and Rev. H. Halford (curate). The hymns, " Thou are the Way" and "They whose course on earth is o'er," were sung, and a special psalm chanted. The tablet unveiled by Mrs. H. Halford, and dedicated by the Vicar. The tablet bore the inscription: "To the Glory of God. Dedicated to the memory of Harold Charles Organ F.R.C.O., Second Lieutenant, 4th Gloucesters, who volunteered in the Great War, 1915, and fell in action near Ypres, Oct. 9th, 1917, aged 28 years. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you. Erected by his widow in commemoration of his connection with this church as organist."

Masonic :

Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

• The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• The (UK) National Archives
• Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
• ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry

Additional Source:

• Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
• Researcher : Bruce Littley