Corporal Jack Harvey Royal Army Ordnance Corps
The Man Jack Harvey was born on Tuesday 1st July 1919 in Bramley, Manchester son of Walter, an Assistant Railway Foreman and Lois nee Greaves. Following his schooling, Jack became a Salesman and Stock-keeper and on 2nd May 1939 enlisted into the Royal Army Service Corps Territorial Army, part of the 42nd East Lancashire Division with service number T/80769. At the time he was living with his parents at 3 Griffin Grove, Manchester. Jack was embodied on 2nd September 1939, the day before World War II began, at Lancashire Cricket Ground a 0800h. He was described as 5’.6” tall, weighing 144 lbs with a fresh complexion, blue eyes and fair hair. After the outbreak of War, the 42nd Division was serving under Western Command with its headquarters in Manchester and was mobilised for war service. Many of the division's units, widely scattered, were engaged in static defensive duties and guarding vulnerable positions and so were initially unable to concentrate on training. In late September, the division moved to Northumberland where it came under Northern Command and began training. It is possible that Jack, as part of the 42nd Division, saw service in France with the British Expeditionary Force (BEF), because in January 1940, the division moved to Wiltshire, under Southern Command and continued training. Crossing in mid-April to France, coming under the control of General Headquarters (GHQ) BEF, before being assigned to III Corps on 29 April. While there, the division exchanged some of its units for Regular Army units, as part of official BEF policy, which was, in theory, intended to strengthen the inexperienced TA formations with experienced Regular units but this also had the simultaneous effect of weakening the Regular formations with relatively untrained troops. The 42nd Division transferred from III Corps to I Corps on 19 May 1940, nine days after the German Army invaded France. After the speed of the German advance, the division, along with the rest of the BEF, was forced to retreat to Dunkirk and evacuated on 31 May / 1 June, having suffered significant casualties. Jack was promoted paid Lance Corporal on 8th November 1940, acting paid Corporal on 12th April 1941 and war substantive Corporal on 12th July; serving at home and transferring into the Royal Army Ordnance Corps 17th Vehicle Company which was formed during the latter part of 1943 when the Normandy invasion was planned. Following the Normandy invasion on 6th June 1944 the 17th Veh Coy began arriving in France on D+7, starting on its way, which began at Bayeux and Vaux-sur-Aure and leading to Brussels, Antwerp and later to the Hamburg-Lübeck Autobahn, first under the protecting wings of 17 AOD, but soon as a self-contained unit of Battalion strength.
Jack was demobilised on 14th February 1946, receiving a glowing report on his release leave certificate which said, “This soldier has shown a marked leadership of men, very reliable in every way and scrupulously honest”. In later life Jack became a Buyer’s Assistant and was a member of the Royal British Legion. No further information is known.
Jack was demobilised on 14th February 1946, receiving a glowing report on his release leave certificate which said, “This soldier has shown a marked leadership of men, very reliable in every way and scrupulously honest”. In later life Jack became a Buyer’s Assistant and was a member of the Royal British Legion. No further information is known.
The Story The group of medals awarded to Jack Harvey were acquired from E-Bay on 19th September 2020 having been watched for a few weeks with no bids or sale. They were of interest mainly because of the excellent quality colour photograph of the recipient wearing the medals, together with other photographs and his pay and release book. Interestingly despite having a date of birth in the pay book, the only information found on Ancestry.UK were his birth and the 1939 census, where unusually he is shown as still living with his parents and with his service details and part of his number displayed on the second page (sadly cut off half way). Despite intense searching, no marriage or death details could be located. Clearly Jack lived several years and into his seventies at least judging by the colour photograph.
Medal Details:
- 1939-45 Star: Unnamed as awarded.
- France and Germany Star: Unnamed as awarded.
- Defence Medal: Unnamed as awarded.
- War Medal 1939-45: Unnamed as awarded.
- Efficiency Medal: T/80769 CPL .J.HARVEY. R.A.S.C.
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This page last updated 3 Oct 20
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