Edward Haydon Harries

Private Edward Haydon Harries – Army Service Corps (M.T. Depot, Grove Park)

David Harris and Mary Hopkins
Marriage Certificate
St. Mary's Church, Swansea

Edward Haydon Harries was born in 1884 in Swansea. His surname was originally recorded as “Harris”. He was the son of David Harris and Mary Hopkins, who were married at St. Mary’s Church, Swansea, in 1877.

1891 Census

According to the 1891 Census, the Harris family were living as boarders in the home of Mary Hopkins, Edward’s grandmother, at 71 Pentregethin Road. Mary Hopkins, aged 54, was a widowed grocer, and her children were John (19), an engine fitter; Lewis (17), employed at the tinplate works; and Hannah (13), who attended school. Mary Harris, also widowed, was 36 years old and employed as a milliner. Her children were Lilly (8), Edward (7), both attending school, and Esther (2 weeks).

1901 Census

By the 1901 Census, Mary Harris, aged 44, was living at 62 Courtney Street with her only son, Edward H. (17), who worked as a clerk. Also present were several visitors: Mary Hopkins (65); Maggie Evans (25) and her son, Thomas H. (2); and Hannah Logan (22) with her daughter, Mary A. (10 months).

1911 Census

At the time of the 1911 Census, Mary Harris, aged 55, and her son Edward H. (26), a manager in a coal exporting business, were living at 29 Iorwerth Street, Manselton, Swansea.

A few months after the outbreak of the First World War, in 1914, Edward married Lilian M. Brown at Narberth, Pembrokeshire — the first official record in which his surname appears as “Harries”.

Edward later enlisted in the Army Service Corps (Mechanical Transport Depot, Grove Park), serving as a Private. The Army Service Corps played a vital role in transporting troops, supplies, and equipment for the British Army both at home and abroad. The Grove Park Depot, based in Lewisham, London, was one of the principal training and repair centres for motor transport during the war.

Since Edward served with the ASC Mechanical Transport at Grove Park, he would likely have passed through the initial induction, skill-testing, and trade-assignment processes before receiving his posting. His service as a Private in the M.T. Depot suggests that he may have been engaged in one of the essential support roles — such as driver-mechanic, workshop fitter, or vehicle supply and maintenance. Given the depot’s importance, Edward’s posting placed him at the heart of the home-front logistical effort, sustaining the massive network that kept the British Army moving. Though away from the front lines, men in such roles carried out a vital yet often unheralded service. Sadly, the conditions of training depots left many exposed to illness, and Edward’s death at the Royal Herbert Hospital, Woolwich, shortly before the Armistice, may have been a result of such exposure, as influenza and related diseases swept through military installations across Britain in 1918.

Army Register of Soldiers’ Effects

The Army Register of Soldiers’ Effects records that Private Edward Haydon Harries died on 2^nd November 1918 at the Royal Herbert Hospital, Woolwich, Kent — just days before the Armistice.

Royal Herbert Hospital, Woolwich

The Royal Herbert Hospital, located on Shooter’s Hill, Woolwich, was one of the most important military hospitals in Britain during the First World War. Originally opened in 1865 to serve the Royal Artillery Garrison, it became a major centre for the treatment of soldiers wounded or taken ill both at home and abroad. During the war, its wards were expanded with temporary buildings to accommodate the vast number of casualties arriving from the Western Front. The hospital was particularly renowned for its surgical and convalescent care, as well as for its pioneering use of modern medical techniques. It remained a key military hospital until after the Second World War.

Edward Haydon Harries
Oystermouth Cemetery
credit - findagrave

Following his death, Edward’s body was brought home to Swansea and buried with honour at Oystermouth Cemetery, where his grave is marked by a Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstone.

After the war, Edward’s widow, Lilian Harries, continued to live in Pembrokeshire, where she maintained close family ties. Her husband’s name endures among those from Swansea who gave their lives in the service of their country during the Great War.

In recognition of the invaluable service provided by men like Edward, the Army Service Corps was granted the honour of becoming the Royal Army Service Corps (RASC) in 1918, symbolising its critical contribution to the success of Britain’s war effort. By the end of the First World War, the Army Service Corps’ Mechanical Transport branch had become one of the largest and most sophisticated logistical organisations in the world. It operated more than 56,000 motor vehicles, supported by over 300,000 officers and men across all theatres of war. These vehicles — from supply lorries and ambulances to repair trucks and mobile workshops — kept the British and Allied armies supplied and mobile, playing a decisive role in the eventual victory.