Harold Washington, killed in Ireland

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Private Harold Washington (4603001) of the 2nd West Riding Regiment is buried in Weaste Cemetery, Salford. He was killed in North King Street, Dublin on the 20th September 1920 whilst collecting bread for troops stationed at Collinstown, he was part of a contingent of soldiers sent daily to collect the bread by motor lorry. Kevin Gerard Barry was later executed for his part in the ambush.

Much was made of Barry’s age by the Irish newspapers, but the British military were to point out that the three soldiers who had been killed were “much the same age as Barry.” On 20 October, Major Reginald Ingram Marians OBE, Head of the Press Section of the General Staff, informed Basil Clarke, Head of Publicity, that Washington was “only 19 and that the other soldiers were of similar ages.” General Macready,[7] was well aware of the “propaganda value of the soldier’s ages.” General Macready informed General Sir Henry Wilson on the day that sentence was pronounced “of the three men who were killed by him (Barry) and his friends two were 19 and one 20 — official age so probably they were younger... so if you want propaganda there you are.”[7] It was later reported that one of the infantrymen was as young as 15 years old

CWGC gives Harold's age as 15:
Name: WASHINGTON
Initials: H
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Private
Regiment/Service: Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment)
Unit Text: 2nd Bn.
Age: 15
Date of Death: 20/09/1920
Service No: 4603001
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: G. 1454.
Cemetery: SALFORD (WEASTE) CEMETERY

His grave gives his age as 16.

You can read more about Kevin Barry on wiki

I will post a few newspaper articles with regards to this here under.

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Oct 29th 1920; Barry is sentenced to death.

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Accusations of torture.

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Barry's execution.

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Harold's birth is registered in Oct - Nov - Dec 1904.

Name: Harold Washington
Date of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec 1904
Registration district: Salford
Inferred County: Lancashire
Volume:
Page: 169

This suggests that he was 15. Without his birth certificate his age cannot be proven. His grave reference at Weaste is G1454

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The 1911 census has him living at 189 Regent road age 6 which would make his birth year 1904/5 which ties in with the birth show on Ancestry/FMP and FreeBMD

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Saldford south absent voters list for:
207 Regent roard..

Arthur Washington
Cpl 13560
1st Lanc fuisliers
Here is his medal card www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/details-result.asp?Edoc_Id=5969553&queryType=1&resultcount=1


William Washington
50968
3rd North Hants reg

John Pickering
Pte G/58271
32nd Middlesex Regiment
Here is his medal card www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/details-result.asp?Edoc_Id=4827778&queryType=1&resultcount=181

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Nice research Ben and thanks for the 1911 details, I do not have a subscription to FMP.

Cheers,

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Do you want the image?

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Ben,

I received the image, thanks very much.

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Harold's grave;

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[mack]

i came across this story a few years ago,and i was never comfertable about the way it was carried out,barry was a civilian,he should have been tried by a civil court,it doesnt matter if the person he murdered was a civvie or military,trying him by court martial is accepting that hes not a civilian and therefore theres no murder charge to answer too because the soldiers were legitimate targets of a militia group

mack

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Fair comment Mack,

My main interest is the fact that Harold was a Salford lad. I have been to Dublin and heard about the injustice that was handed out to the Irish Loyalist (not always catholic). I cannot however change history.

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