HAROLD THOMAS MUTCH
December 1894 - 13 August 1915
At School 1905 - 1906
Pte 6402 1st Border Regt
Harold was born in Boho Bay, British Columbia, Canada, his parents Edward and Agnes having moved there following their marriage in Salford in 1888. In 1896 the family moved back to Salford and in 1901 were living at 2 & 4 Agnes Street, Salford, Edward working as a Beer Retailer on his own account, at home. Harold aged 6 had an elder brother, Ernest aged 9 and a younger sister, Alma aged 4. By 1911 the family had moved to 11 Rudman Street, Salford, where Edward and Agnes are described as "Licensed Victuallers"; Harold was working as a Junior Clerk in the Tramways Department at Salford Town Hall, Ernest as a Junior Clerk in a Financiers Office and Alma as a Domestic Help.
Harold enlisted in Manchester in the Border Regiment. The 1st Battalion had returned to England from Burma in January 1915 and left for Gallipoli on 17 March 1915, via Egypt and the island of Lemnos, landing at Cape Helles on 25 April 1915. Harold was part of a draft of reinforcements for the 1st Battalion, embarking on 28 July 1915 at Avonmouth on board the Hired Transport ship Royal Edward. On 6 August the ship called at Malta and on 10 August arrived at Alexandria, leaving on 12 August for Lemnos, a staging post for the Dardenelles. The ship was carrying a crew of 220 and 1,366 officers and men of
various Regiments. On the same day, German submarine UB-14 sailed from Bodrum, Turkey for the known steamer route between Alexandria and the Dardanelles under the command of Lt Commander Heino von Heimburg with a crew of 14. On 13 August the submarine sighted the Royal Edward, sailing unescorted some 6 nautical miles off the island of

Kandeloussa near Kos, and fired one torpedo from under a mile away, which struck the ship in the stern. The Royal Edward sank by the stern in six minutes with a heavy loss of life. 935 soldiers and crew were drowned, including Harold, the figure being so high as the troops had
carried out boat drill and many were below decks stowing their gear when the torpedo struck.
Harold's body was never recovered and he is commemorated on the Helles Memorial at Gallipoli, where special panels are dedicated to the soldiers lost on the Royal Edward.



Harold is also commemorated on the Regent Square Memorial, which listed the names of 300 local Salford men who had joined the forces. The memorial was inaugurated by the Salford Council and unveiled on 30 June 1918 by Sir Montague Barlow MP. It was erected by public subscription and Harold's father, a local councillor, was Hon Secretary.
Sir Montague "felt perfectly certain that the memorial would be guarded and tended in the future in the same spirit that had erected it - in the spirit of love for the dear ones who had gone. They were there not only to dedicate that permanent memorial but, he hoped, also to gain inspiration to carry on from generation to generation the splendid traditions which those who passed away had handed down to us."
Unfortunately this did not prove to be the case! By the 1980's the two bottom stones and the crown had gone missing. The Ordsall Royal British Legion made enquiries. The two bottom stones were found in local gardens but the crown proved more elusive. Eventually, after speaking to many local residents, the searchers became aware of a rumour that a stone matching the description of the missing crown had been seen at Buile Hill Park, some miles away. A search of the park was made and the crown found beneath thick undergrowth. The memorial was taken to the Ordsall British Legion and re-erected in the car park. Unfortunately the two bottom stones were placed facing the wrong way but at least the memorial was saved.