Edward Alfred Harwood

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Grave/Memorial:  		Harwood, Edward A

1878, Knaphill, Woking, Surrey

John and Mary (née Hersey)

460th Battery, Royal Horse Artillery and Royal Field Artillery

52759

Gunner

30 May 1915, Malta, age 36

East Mudros Military Cemetery, Mudros, Lemnos, North Aegean,
Greece: I. A. 23 		   

Biography:
Edward Alfred Harwood was born in May 1878 in Knaphill, Woking, Surrey. He was the son and eighth child of John and Mary
(née Hersey). He had six brothers and three sisters.

Edward, when he was aged twenty, enlisted in the Royal Artillery on 18 August 1898, for seven years (plus five in the Reserves).
He stood 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighed 128 pounds. His complexion was described as ‘fair’; he had grey eyes and brown hair.

In April 1904, Edward extended his service to eight years. In May, he was promoted to acting Bombardier (from Gunner) but, in
June he reverted to Gunner at his own request.

In August 1906, Edward extended his service to 12 years. He was discharged in August 1910.

During this period, Edward served overseas, in South Africa from September 1899 to November 1901 and in India from
December 1901 to December 1909.

When war broke out, Edward, as a Reservist, would have been called up.

Edward Alfred Harwood was killed on 30 May 1915. He is buried in grave I. A. 23 within the East Mudros Military Cemetery,
Mudros, Lemnos, Greece (recorded as A Harwood).




Because of its position, the island of Lemnos played an important part in the campaigns
against Turkey during the First World War. It was occupied by a force of marines on 23
February 1915 in preparation for the military attack on Gallipoli, and Mudros became a
considerable Allied camp. The 1st and 3rd Canadian Stationary Hospitals, the 3rd
Australian General Hospital and other medical units were stationed on both sides of Mudros bay and a considerable Egyptian Labour Corps detachment was employed. After
the evacuation of Gallipoli, a garrison remained on the island and the 1st Royal Naval Brigade was on Lemnos, Imbros and Tenedos for the first few months of 1916.

East Mudros Military Cemetery was begun in April 1915 and used until September 1919.
It contains 885 Commonwealth burials of the First World War, 86 of them unidentified,
and one Second World War burial. There are also seven non-war naval graves.		     



Harry James Hardy is also commemorated on the memorial tablet within Knaphill Holy Trinity Church.