Clifford Beaumont Harris

Lieutenant Clifford Beaumont Harris – Welsh Regiment & Machine Gun Corps

Early Life

Clifford Beaumont Harris was born in 1889, the eldest son of John Thomas Harris and Sarah Ann Thomas, who had married in 1887 at Carmarthen.

1891 Census

The 1891 Census records the family living at 26 Russell Street. John, 28, was employed as a Shipbuilder and Marine Engine Builder, while Sarah, also 28, managed the home. Clifford, aged 2, was their only child at this time. Living with them was Sarah’s younger sister, Elizabeth Thomas, 17, working as a general servant.

1901 Census

By the 1901 Census, the family had moved to 23 Montpellier Terrace. John and Sarah, both now 38, were raising three children: Clifford (12), Hubert W. (8), and Kathleen W. (2). John had advanced in his career and was recorded as a Dry Dock Manager. Assisting the family was Ethel M. Ress, 24, a live-in general servant.

1911 Census

A decade later, at the 1911 Census, the Harris family were living at 1 Osborne Terrace, Bryn Road. John, 48, was still employed as a Dry Dock Manager, while Sarah, also 48, kept the home. Clifford, then 22, worked as an Agency Inspector. His younger siblings included Hubert (18), an Apprentice Engineer, and Kathleen (12), still at school. The household also employed Gladys Osman, 18, as a general servant.

Military Service

Clifford pursued a commission and joined the Welsh Regiment, 6th Battalion. During the First World War, he was attached to the Machine Gun Corps (Infantry) and rose to the rank of Lieutenant. His service reflected the role of young professional men who took on responsibility at the front, often leading small units under intense pressure.

Freemasonry

United Grand Lodge of England Freemason
Membership Registers

Alongside his military career, Clifford became a Freemason. His membership began with the Indefatigable Lodge, St. Helens Road, where he was initiated on 12^th November 1917. He received his formal certificate less than a year later, on 2^nd August 1918. His profession was formally listed as Second Lieutenant, Welsh Regiment, highlighting how his identity as both officer and gentleman was interwoven with his civic and social affiliations.

Death and Burial

Herald of Wales

After surviving the war, Clifford’s life was tragically cut short by illness. On 3^rd March 1919, he died of pneumonia, one of the many soldiers to fall victim to disease in the immediate aftermath of the conflict. His death was reported in the Herald of Wales, which noted the loss of a promising young officer.

Clifford Beaumont Harris 
Danygraig Cemetery
credit - findagrave

Clifford was laid to rest with honour at Danygraig Cemetery, Swansea, where his grave remains a reminder of the many men who returned from the battlefields only to die in the shadow of peace.

Legacy

Clifford Beaumont Harris’s story embodies the quiet tragedy of the postwar years. Though he lived to see the armistice, his death from pneumonia reminds us of the fragility of survival in 1919, when influenza and war-related illness claimed thousands of lives. His role as both a Freemason and Lieutenant highlight a man rooted in community, family, and service. His grave at Danygraig marks not just his own sacrifice, but the enduring impact of the First World War on Swansea families.