Raymond's Story.
Birkenhead News 08 December 1917LOCAL OFFICER FALLS IN ACTION.
News has been received of the death of Lieutenant Raymond Harkness, the youngest son of Mrs. Raymond Harkness, Lennerton, Hoylake. He joined the 4th Cheshire Regt. at the outbreak of war, was granted a commission in the 10th Leicestershire Regt. in June, 1915, and transferred to the Machine Gun Corps a few months later. Early in June, 1916 he was drafted to France, and came home on leave in May last. Educated at Hoylake College, in civil life he was on the staff of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Bank, in South John Street, Liverpool. Writing to his relatives of the engagement in which he fell his company officer said :- “He was killed in action on the 23rd November while leading twelve machine guns against the enemy. He was one of the best section officers I have ever known, and will never be forgotten by the members of this company. Everybody was very fond of him as he was always so cheerful wherever we were, and whatever was happening.”
A letter received from a brother officer of the deceased, referring to his death, contains the following passages :- “I can assure you we all feel the blow greatly and have lost a real personal friend as well as a true comrade. He was one of those to whom you could always look for sound advice and help in any difficulty. He was never too tired to do you a good turn, and at the end of a long march, when he was as tired as anybody else, he would always give a help to anybody, whether officer or man. The men all worshipped him, and in the letters they are writing now, you can see how much they appreciated him.”