1917 - 2001 (83 years)
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| Name |
Robert "Bob" Kenneth Sommervile Harker |
| Prefix |
Lt Col, RA |
| Nickname |
Bob |
| Birth |
7 Nov 1917 |
Lloyds hospital, Bridlington, , Yorkshire, England  [1, 2] |
| Gender |
Male |
| _UID |
60BE861BD26A4C9CB4655B640660A9BC866E |
| Burial |
2001 |
RC Cemetery, Pembury Church, Pembury, , Kent, England |
| Death |
May 2001 |
Pembury, , Kent, England [2] |
| Person ID |
I48520 |
The Maw Family Tree |
| Last Modified |
25 Oct 2017 |
| Father |
Kenneth Farr Harker, CBE, b. 11 Jan 1896, Hull, , Yorkshire, England d. 8 Jan 1970, Cranbrook, , Kent, England (Age 73 years) |
| Mother |
Ellen Watson Greenlees Sommerville, b. Abt 1890, Moniave, Dumfrieshire, Scotland, England d. 11 Nov 1917, District Bridlington (Age 27 years) |
| Marriage |
26 Jan 1917 |
Wellington U.F. Church, Glasgow, , Lanark, Scotland |
 |
M15649 - Marriage Kenneth Far Harker and Ellen Watson Greenlees Sommerville - 26 Jan 1917
M15649 - Marriage Kenneth Far Harker and Ellen Watson Greenlees Sommerville - 26 Jan 1917
Credit: Charles Kenneth Sommerville Harker |
| Family ID |
F15649 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
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| Notes |
- Bob was educated at Bridlington Grammer School and went to Wrekin College, Wellington.
Bob enjoyed sailing with his father off the coast of Bridlington and horse riding, in which he became proficient. The family had a large stables and riding school in Bridlington.
After school Bob went into the Army. He went to the Royal Military College at Woolwich. The RMA trained cadets to be officers in the Royal Artillery. Bob was commissioned in the Royal Artillery in 1937.
In September 1940 he went to France and Belgium with the 2nd Medium Regiment RA as part of the British Expeditionery Force BEF. In the early days - the Phoney War - the BEF hung around waiting to see what would happen next. Dad appears to spent much time gambling at Poker and trying to relieve the French of their stocks of grand wines.
The war started in earnest on xxxxxxxx for dad. He recalled knocking off a few church spires with his troop of guns and being machine gunned by German fighters whilst in retreat with the rest of the BEF. He recalled losing a friend who was riding a motorbike behind the vehicle he was travelling in.
In xxxxx 1941 he was evacuated from Dunkirk in Northern France.
In xxxxx 1941 Bob started Flying. He joined No1 EFTS at Reading one of the first 6 Army pilots to join the experimental unit of the Air OP (AOP). The idea was to take experienced gunners into the air to observe and direct gunnery against the enemy. This job was normally performed by the RAF who lacked the appropriate gunnery skills.
Bob had a couple of minor crashes in this early period but most importantly met a young girl Kathleen Campigli (my mother).
On 9th December 1941 he had his 3rd prang. He crashed into the Isle of Wight. This was a serious crash and he was unconscious for many days, nearly losing his leg which was saved by pioneering surgery undertaken by an American surgeon. Thereafter one leg was shorter than the other.
Bob came out of Hospital in June 1942.
Credit: Charles Kenneth Sommerville Harker
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| Sources |
- [S118] England and Wales, Civil Registration Index: 1837-1983, (FreeBMD. England and Wales, Civil Registration Index: 1837-1983. [database online] Provo, UT: Ancestry.com, 2001. Original data: Microfilm and microfiche of the England and Wales, Civil Registration Indexes created by the General Register Office, in London, England.), GRO Reference - District Bridlington - Volume 9d Oage 483 (Reliability: 3).
- [S37] England and Wales, Civil Registration 1984 - 2013, GRO Reference - District Tunbridge Wells - District number 5761D - Register number D20 - Entry number 138 - DOR 501 (Reliability: 3).
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