Captain Frank G. Harvey
In memoriam Bede College, A Co, 8th Battalion DLI…
Part 3
(click here for Part 1 and Part 2)
Just before WLS and his friends, Tutty and Bob H. posed for this photograph at the Army Training Camp in Conway, whilst on their Senior Year summer vacation,
Bede College, Durham, had bidden farewell to a long-serving member of the Senior Faculty, Captain Frank G. Harvey.
Harvey was a much admired member of the Bede staff, and greatly respected by the students who affectionately nicknamed him, ‘Captain Cardboard’. When interviewed by Harry Moses in the 1980s, WLS spoke of him with much affection, saying with enthusiastic emphasis,
“…oh, he was a great fellow!’
Captain Harvey in 1912:
A Warm Tribute:
The frontpage of this June 1914 edition of the Bede College magazine, features a warm tribute to Mr Harvey who was leaving Bede after 14 years to study for a BA at Cambridge.
Just 2 months before the outbreak of WW1, Capt. Harvey thought he was going up to Cambridge University in October 1914. He had no idea that his immediate future would actually lie far away from Cambridge’s academic cloisters, commanding his former students in Front line trenches.
Captain Frank G Harvey – a brief biography:
Frank G. Harvey joined the Bede Staff in 1900, straight from Peterborough Training College. His appointment was as Arts Tutor and Assistant Master in the Model School. In 1902, there is a Sgt. F.G. Harvey in the Bede Company (then part of the 4th Volunteer Battalion D.L.I., later 8 Bn. DLI in 1908). He was a keen tennis player, coach of boats and President of the College soccer club. In 1904, Frank Harvey was appointed the headmaster of Gilesgate Council School in Durham and trainee teachers from Bede (including WLS) used to hone their classroom skills there.
As all fit students were expected to join the Bede Company on starting college, WLS and his best friends amongst the Junior Year of 1913, Tutty and Bob H knew Harvey (who had been promoted to Captain in 1909) very well.
Captain Harvey commanded ‘B’ Company (the Bede Lads) until the Territorial units were re-organised shortly after the commencement of the First World War, to reflect the organisation of the regular battalions i.e four companies per Battalion and not eight. When the Durham City Platoons merged with the Bede Company to form the new ‘A’ Company, it was commanded by Frank Harvey.
Thus it was their well-loved Captain Harvey who led the Bede Lads, (including WLS, Tutty and Bob H ) off to fight in WW1.
A Distinguished Post-war Career:
Frank Harvey finally made it to Cambridge. After WW1 ended, he went to Queen’s College, where he took a degree in History at the age of 42.
He joined the Army Education Corps as a Captain in 1921 and was posted to India.
In 1926 he was appointed M.B.E. In 1928, he was promoted Major. In 1931 he was with London District as Command Education Officer and was presented to King George V. He retired in 1937.
Yours ever,
(click here for Part 1 and Part 2)
2 Comments
Leave a Reply
Want to join us but don’t live in Perch Fell? You’re in luck ! Yay!
Our crack Editorial Team at The Awesome Hen:
News Reporter
Lady Liberty Hen
WW1 Centenary & Barbecue Enthusiast
The Agent Pastoral Guide
The Rev. Rosecomb (aka Trev the Rev) Film and TV Buff
The Graf von Blommehön Gardening Guru
Lady Lohmann-Brown Party giver Extraordinaire
Lady Egality Maran Sporting Correspondent
Sir Plymouth Rock Author of '101 Ways to Organise Everything & Everyone'
Brown Owl Castle Coop Local Celebrity
Lady Eftie Nudge Perch Fell Resident Tourist
Julia. I'm allowed to be present at editorial meetings so long as I sit at the back & colour in quietly. 
Content Copyright 2021
All original content copyright The Awesome Hen 2021.
All rights reserved.
All the characters you meet in The Awesome Hen live in the virtual hamlet of Perch Fell and nowhere else. They are entirely their own selves and have no alter egos in either the actual or the virtual world.
Splendid to read this. My congratulations to the Agent for all his work on this. Meanwhile Billy called me the other day to ask if you were planning to do the bicycle ride for the Royal Legion again this year. We all so enjoyed your reports on it last year and it was such a terrific cause. We would both be delighted to sponsor you again should you decide to take it on – I am sure many of the Castle Coop residents feel the same. I expect you could get one of the chicklets to accompany you again as well.
The Agent is going to a talk given by Harry Moses (who’s the expert on DLI experiences in WW1 and who interviewed WLS in the 80s) in April so hopefully will return with lots of interesting info. Re Pedalling to Paris again – thank you again bigtime for your tremendous support and will think about it. Not sure but if not this year maybe next…