Pte 269214 Harold Mathison

• Age: 31
• From: Wrexham, N.Wales
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 23rd June 1917
• Commemorated at: Menin Gate Memorial
  Panel Ref: Panel 4 & 6

Harold Mathison was born in late 1885 in Birkenhead, Cheshire, and baptised on 13^th December in St. Paul’s, Tranmere.  His parents, Edward Mathison and Martha Nelson were married in St. George, Everton, in 1864.  Edward, a joiner, was born in Durham, and Martha in Tranmere.  Harold was the youngest of twelve children.  He had brothers James, George, Charles, Frederick, Alfred, and Frank, and sisters Emily, Lilian, Ada, Beatrice, and Amy.  His mother died in 1888, aged 43, when Harold was two years old.

In 1891 his widowed father, with the six youngest children, is living at 13 Lowther Street, Birkenhead. His father ‘s occupation is joiner. Harold is 6 years old.

In 1901 Harold is living with his married brother Frederick, his wife and three children, in Afongoch, Rhosllanerchrugog, Denibighshire. Harold is 15, employed as a van boy.

His father died in 1907.

In 1911 Harold is still living with his brother Frederick, his wife and now five children, at Gardden Hall Farm, Ruabon, Denbighshire. Harold is 25, single, employed as a colliery labourer, below ground.

Harold enlisted in Wrexham, as Private 8085, Royal Welsh Fusiliers, and at some point was transferred to 19^th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment and given the regimental number 269214.

He was killed in action on the 23rd June, 1917 aged 31.

By June 1917 the 19^th Bn was in the Ypres salient, in the front line south of Hooge. On the 10^th the 19^th is relieved in the line and marches back to Brandhoek.  The Battalion War Diary for 23^rd June records:  

 “At night practically all the battalion were out on a working party digging an assembly trench and suffered casualties:  7 OR killed, 13 OR wounded, 1 OR missing.” 

Private Harold Mathison was of the 7 other ranks the others being George Ashbrook, Norman Garside, Andrew Harron, Harold Hart, Frederick Owen and Joseph Spencer mentioned in the Battalion diary.

His body was not recovered, or subsequently lost, and he is remembered on the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing, Ypres, Belgium.

The site of the Menin Gate was chosen because of the hundreds of thousands of men who passed through it on their way to the battlefields. It commemorates casualties from the forces of Australia, Canada, India, South Africa and United Kingdom who died in the Salient. In the case of United Kingdom casualties, only those prior 16 August 1917 (with some exceptions). United Kingdom and New Zealand servicemen who died after that date are named on the memorial at Tyne Cot, a site which marks the furthest point reached by Commonwealth forces in Belgium until nearly the end of the war. New Zealand casualties that died prior to 16 August 1917 are commemorated on memorials at Buttes New British Cemetery and Messines Ridge British Cemetery.

The YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL now bears the names of more than 54,000 officers and men whose graves are not known. The memorial, designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield with sculpture by Sir William Reid-Dick, was unveiled by Lord Plumer on 24 July 1927.

Soldiers Effects went to brothers George, Charles, Frederick and Alfred, sisters Beatrice Campbell and Lilian Davies, nephews George and James, niece Alice

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