Kelly H H Captain Royal Engineers
CAPTAIN H. H. KELLY
ROYAL ENGINEERS
HARRY HOLDSWORTH KELLY was the fourth and youngest son of Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Holdsworth Kelly, Royal Marine Artillery, of Montrose House, Southsea, and of Elizabeth Eleanor, daughter of John Collum, of Bellune, County Fermanagh, Ireland.
He entered the School with a Modern Language Scholarship in 1894, was Head of his House in his last Term and passed sixth into the R.M.A., Woolwich, in 1896. At Woolwich he was Under-Officer, was in the first XV, and won the Boxing Medal in 1898. He received his Commission in 1899 and was promoted Captain in 1908.
He played in the Hampshire County Football Team in 1899 and won the Army and Navy Heavy-weight Boxing Championship, at Aldershot, in 1901.
From 1903 to 1913 he served with the Egyptian Army. He was Resident Engineer for the construction of the town and harbour of Port Sudan, and received the 4th Class Osmanieh, for services in connection with this. He was Inspector of Roads and Communications for the Sudan, 1908-13. He served as a member of the Lado Enclave Commission in 1911. He was appointed by the Sudan Government as Commissioner for the Sudan-Uganda Boundary Commission in 1913 and was responsible for the Reconnaissance to the Borna Plateau in the same year.
He took part in the operations in the Atwot Region, Sudan, in 1910, receiving the Sudan Medal, and in the operations against the Beir and Anuak tribes in South Eastern Sudan as Intelligence Officer in 1912, adding a Clasp to the Sudan Medal and receiving the 3rd Class Medjidieh.
He was awarded the 3rd Class Osmanich in 1913, for which he was qualified, at so early an age, only by his local rank of Lieutenant-Colonel.
He carried out explorations in Abyssinia in 1907, 1911, and in 1913, and was a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.
He went to the Front at the beginning of the War, with the 38th Field Company R.E., and while engaged in superintending the erection of wire entanglements between ours and the enemy’s trenches, he was shot by a sniper on the night of October 24th, 1914. Age 34.
The Sirdar of Egypt, and his brother Officers testified to the gallantry of this distinguished soldier:—
“It was not only total absence of fear, but absolutely sound judgment and capacity for carrying a thing through, and readiness to take responsibility, which made him a marked man.”
“He was so big and cheery, never depressed however tired and hard-worked he might be, and did his duty gallantly. Although exposed daily and nightly to possibly greater risks than others, he was always willing and helpful and a pattern to all.”
“He was greatly loved and admired by his comrades. Had he lived he would have gone far-very far indeed.”
A brother Officer, who was wounded, wrote in the following terms:-
“It was a great blow to me to read of Kelly having been killed in action, just after I had written a letter thanking him for being so kind to me after I was hit. He came down some miles to see me in the trenches, under heavy fire, saw me into the dressing station, and did not leave me until just before I left in the ambulance wagon. The dressing station was under fire and was struck by a shell just before I was got away. He was a fine man, 6 ft. 6 in. in his socks, beautifully built, popular and known everywhere, and I was very proud of his friendship.”
Source : Memorials Of Rugbeians Who Fell In The Great War Vol 1
KELLY, HARRY HOLDSWORTH, Capt., R.E., yst. s. of Lieut. Col. Henry Holdsworth Kelly, R.M.A. (ret.), of Montrose House, South-sea, by his wife, Elizabeth Eleanor, dau. of John Collum, of Bellevere, co. Fermanagh; b. Staff Officers’ House, Eastney Barracks, Portsmouth, 24 Aug. 1880; educ. Rugby and R.M.A., Woolwich (Feb. 1897-99); gazetted 2nd Lieut. R.E. 8 March, 1899; promoted Lieut. 25 July, 1901, and Capt. 8 March, 1908; served with the Egyptian Army, 1903-13; was Resident Engineer for the construction of the lown and Harbour of Port Sudan, 1904-08, and received the 4th Class Osmanich for services in connection with this, 28 June, 1908; was Inspector of Roads and Communications for the Sudan, 18 Nov., 1908, serving as a member of the Lado Enclave Commission in 1911: Commissioner for the Sudan Government in the Sudan-Uganda Boundary Commission, 1913, and was responsible for the Reconnaissance to the Boma Plateau, carried out in the same year; took part in the operations in the Atwot Region, Sudan, in 1910 (Sudan medal), was Intelligence Officer in the operations against the Beir and Anuak tribes in South Eastern Sudan (clasp to Sudan medal and 3rd Class Mediidieh) 1912; decorated with the 3rd Class Osmanich, 1913; re-absorbed into the British Establishment, Nov. 1913.
He served with the 38th Field Coy. R.E. in France, and was killed in action at Bois Grenier, near Armentières, 24 Oct. 1914, while superintending wire ontanglement work between the British and German trenches; buried at Bois Grenier; uam. His Commanding Officer, Major F. M. Browne, wrote: “Не was killed early this morning while on duty in the trenches. He was struck by two bullets, one in the head and one in the back, and I feel sure that death was instantaneous and painless. We were enabled to recover his body, which was to-day buried simply by the chaplain in the presence of all the Coy. His grave lies by the roadside near a pretty country town and we are at present crecting a cross and railings to enclose it. I need hardly tell you what a great loss your son’s death is to me, both as a friend and an officer. He was invaluable to me in every way and the country has lost in him a most valuable officer”; and writing home from a Colchester Hospital, Lieut. Arthur Evans, Royal Engineers (of Carnarvon), paid a tribute to the bravery and kindness shown by Capt. Kelly. who commanded his coy., in attending to him when he was wounded, four days before Capt. Kelly himself was killed. The letter states: “It was a great blow to me to read of Kelly having been killed in action just after I had written him a letter thanking him for being so decent to me after I was hit. He came down to me some miles from Coy, headquarters to the trenches, which must have been under heavy fire, saw me into the dressing station, and did not leave me until just before I left in the ambulance wagon. The dressing station was under fire, and was struck by a shell just before I got away. He was a fine man, 6 ft. 6 in. In his socks, beautifully built, popular and known everywhere, and I was very proud of his friendship.” Capt. Kelly won the Army and Navy Heavyweight Boxing Championship in 1901. He carried out explorations in Abyssinia in 1907, 1911 and 1913.
Source : De Ruvigny’s Roll Of Honour Vol 1