Battle of Arras

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battle of arras 27
a s mall B ar oF C oPPer
and a l arGe P oTaTo
Major Hubert Harvey-Kelly, who had been ‘First in France’ having left
Montrose before the outbreak of war, was having ‘a good war’ when
he arrived at Arras. He is reported to have been a little eccentric with
a delightful personality, his fair hair parted in the middle and armed with
an inexhaustible fund of humorous stories. He is remembered for his Mess
japes, including his simulation of a tank (having recently observed these
new weapons in action) using a coal hod as his turret and being attacked
by lumps of coal thrown by his fellow officers. After colliding with a
stove and overturning it, bringing down the smoke pipe and scattering
the officers in all directions, he claimed success against the ‘infantry’.
His eccentricity is further illustrated by the fact he carried into the air a
small bar of copper and a large potato. His explanation was that if he was
ever forced down in enemy territory he would be given a good reception
and perhaps be the most popular person in all Germany.
Harvey-Kelly was due to have a meeting with his commander, General
Hugh Montague Trenchard on 29th April 1917 and was not scheduled to
fly that day. However, the ‘Red Baron’ was reported to be active in the area
and Harvey-Kelly got airborne and was soon involved in a dogfight with
six Albatros D111s. He was badly injured and crash landed behind enemy
lines. He died from head wounds in a German hospital three days later. He
is buried in the Browns Copse Cemetery in Roeux. The Germans sent his
cigarette case and other personal belongings back to his unit and these were
returned to his mother and remain with the Harvey-Kelly family to this day.
The small bar of copper and potato were not returned.
Major Hubert Harvey-Kelly