Early years
Harry Martin Windsor was born in Worcester on 10th January 1896, the son of Harry and Amelia Windsor. In 1911 Harry’s father managed the Malvern College Refreshment Shop. Harry’s mother was born in Dublin and his older sister Sydney was born at the Curragh, a notable army base in pre-war Ireland. It is quite likely that Harry’s father had served in the army – in 1901 he had been recorded as being an Instructor with Volunteer Force
Harry attended the Lyttelton Grammar School and was a member of the choir at Great Malvern Priory.
Emigration
In January 1919, the Malvern News reported: “Mr and Mrs H Windsor of The Laurels, Court Rd, Malvern has been officially notified of the death of their son Cpl Harry M Windsor, aged 21, from pneumonia on the 20th November at the 13th General Hospital, France. He went to the United States in March 1913 to reside with his uncle and aunt in Cleveland and when America joined the war he enlisted voluntarily in the 112th Regiment of Engineers with whom he served until the date of his death.”
Harry, along with his sister Sydney Margaret Windsor, sailed from Liverpool aboard the ss Carpathia and landed in Boston. He lived with his his uncle and aunt, the Turners, at Kempton, Cleveland, Ohio. He later gained employment as a draughtsman at the Perfection Spring Co, Cleveland, Ohio
US Army Service
Harry enlisted in the Ohio National Guard on July 17, 1917 and was assigned to the 112th Engineer Battalion when the unit entered federal service on 5th August 1917. It was while serving with them, and stationed in Alabama, that he petitioned for US naturalisation in May 1918.
112th Engineer Regiment
Harry Windsor’s unit had a long history, being raised as the Cleveland Grays, an independent volunteer militia company in 1837. It was mustered into federal service a number of times during the 19th Century, the last time being from 1898-99. After this it was reorganized in the Ohio National Guard at Cleveland as the 1st Battalion of Engineers.
In the run up to the USA entering the First World War, the unit was mustered into Federal service on 19th June 1916 at Camp Willis, Ohio. It was expanded, reorganized and redesignated on 24th April 1917 as the 1st Engineer Regiment, and again drafted into Federal service on 5th August 1917.
Finally, it was reorganized and redesignated 15th September 1917 as the 112th Engineer Regiment, and assigned to the 37th Division. During the war, they earned the battle honours (known in the US as Campaign Participation Credits) of Ypres-Lys, Meuse-Argonne and Lorraine 1918.
The 112th Engineers were the first Americans to cross Germany’s Hindenberg Line at Belgium’s Escaut River, as part of the 100 Days Offensive at the end of the Great War. And later the unit was awarded the French Croix de Guerre with Palm, World War I, Streamer embroidered “MEUSE- ARGONNE.”
More information can be found by clicking here.
The unit was demobilized after the war on 17th April 1919 at Camp Sherman, Ohio,
Malvern News 4/1/19
