Sjt. Albert Harmes, 2nd Royal Sussex.

1914 Trio.
8746 Sjt. A. Harmes, 2nd Royal Sussex Regiment.

Born in 1890, in the parish of St Martin's, Brighton, Albert Harmes, a 17 year old serving in the 3rd Royal Sussex Militia, decided that full-time soldiering was the life for him and, with his parents' consent, attested for the Royal Sussex Regiment on 21st June 1907, agreeing to serve seven years with the Colours and five years in the Reserve. His Service Papers describe him as being just over 5' 5" in height, weighing 122lbs and with a fresh complexion, hazel eyes and light brown hair. An interesting entry on his Regimental Conduct Sheet for 15th April 1908 mentions that he was "improperly dressed in town about 8pm" and "loitering with females". In 1910, he married a woman called Margaret and passed his 3rd Class Certificate of Education. The following year, he qualified in cold shoeing. In March 1912, Albert was appointed Lance Corporal and, in the following June, was allowed to transfer to the Army Reserve; his papers stating that he had been employed as a regimental butcher and cold-shoer whilst in the army, but was now hoping to become a postman. His intended place of residence was given as 38 Beach Road, Eastbourne. He had also grown 3" in height during his years as a soldier.

On the outbreak of the First World War, Albert was recalled from the Reserve and went to France with the 2nd Royal Sussex Regiment on 12th August 1914, one of the original members of the British Expeditionary Force, affectionately known as the "Old Contemptibles". He would have taken part in the Retreat from Mons and, in the later fighting on the Aisne, suffered a gun shot wound to the arm on 15th September 1914. He returned to England on 4th October to recover from his wound. The Harmes family was now living at 23 Desmond Road, Eastbourne and on 15th October 1915 was struck by personal tragedy when Albert's four year old son, Thomas Albert, died from a combination of measles, acute laryngitis and pneumonia.

Albert returned to his old battalion on the Western Front in November 1915 and served right through till October 1918. He must have been a capable soldier as promotion now followed in a steady progression - 29/1/1916 appointed Lance Corporal, 26/2/1916 appointed Acting Corporal, 13/9/1916 appointed Acting Sergeant, 31/8/1917 promoted Corporal, 31/5/1918 promoted Sergeant. Despite this, there were still a few entries on his Regimental Conduct Sheet and one gets the impression that he was perhaps quite an easy-going NCO. On 6th August 1916, he was reprimanded for neglect of duty in "allowing men to smoke in the ranks" and on 13th June 1918, he was severely reprimanded for disobedience of Trench Routine orders "in not having equipment on whilst in reserve trench" and for neglect of duty "in failing to see that his platoon carried out the above order."

On 23rd October 1918 during the Battle of the Selle, Albert was wounded a second time, receiving a gun shot wound to the thigh, and was evacuated back to England. He received a disability pension of 6/6 a week, was awarded a Silver War Badge (No: B270832) and was finally discharged from the army in March 1919. In 1938, he applied to join the Eastbourne branch of the Old Contemptibles Association. Albert Harmes died in 1945 at the age of 54.