East Kent Gazette, Saturday 13 July 1918

ROLL OF HONOUR

SEC. LIEUT. H. L. PRIOR, R.A.F.

That the cream of the youth of this country is being sacrificed on the altar of the god of war, was brought still more forcibly to our minds when the news came to hand last week, of the death , as the result of a flying accident, of Sec Lieut Harry Leonard Prior, of the Royal Air Force, the elder son of Mr and Mrs James Leonard Prior, of 112, Park Road, Sittingbourne, for the early demise of this young man has undoubtedly cut short what would have been a most useful career.

Sec. Lieut. Prior was a practised airman, and in the course of a few days, but for this catastrophe, would have been granted his “wings” and would have been sent overseas. The accident happened on Wednesday in last week. Early in the morning he was trying what was to him a new type of machine, and he did so in company with his instructor, Lieut. Edward Burney. He had “taken off”, flown, and landed many times with the instructor, until the latter was quite certain he could handle the machine well. Sec. Lieut. Prior then decided to have a solo spin, and he took off very well, flew round, and landed perfectly safely. he then took again perfectly and was only a few hundred feet up when everybody was horrified to see the machine spinning to the ground, where it immediately burst into flames. The machine fell close to the hut of the medical officer of the aerodrome, who saw Sec. Lieut. Prior for a second before the flames burst out, and he is of the opinion that young Prior was then dead. At the inquest a verdict of “Accidental death” was returned.

In connection with the sad mishap, Lieut. Burney writes to Mr and Mrs Prior telling them of the accident, and remarks that Lieut. Prior was more of a friend than a pupil, and adds, “I can feel real and literal sympathy for you, for I have not felt so “knocked out” myself for many months.” Continuing, he says, “I am very, very sorry, both for you and for others who loved him – he was such a fine,

straight-limbed, straight-eyed young fellow, generous, and good-hearted .......I had looked forward to his going out to France with us, which was his desire.” After some beautiful words of consolation, Lieut. Burney closes the letter with the request for a photograph, and adds, “I shall not easily forget him without it, but I should value it highly as a remembrance of yet one more of my friends who has given himself in the best cause for which they ever fought.”

Harry Leonard Prior was born at Sittingbourne, and early in life sent to Holy Trinity School, Sittingbourne, where he won his way to Borden Grammar School. He proved to be a hard-working and studious scholar, and passed his Oxford Higher Local Examination and the London Matriculation. Making teaching his profession, he went to a school at Greenhithe. Later on, he entered St John’s College, Chelsea, where he quickly passed his Intermediate BSc, and in the summer of 1915 he joined the Sportsmen’s Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers, In the following November he went to France, where he was “up in the line” all the time and fought in such major actions as La Bassee, Givenchy, Vimy Ridge, and in the various engagements on the Somme and Ancre. In January, 1917, he returned to England and trained in a cadet corps at Trinity College, Oxford. He received his commission in July, 1917, and was posted to the 6th Batt. Royal Fusiliers. Later on he was attached to the R.F.C. for the purpose of becoming a pilot, and later this year he was absorbed in the establishment of the Royal Air Force.

It could be here mentioned that Mr and Mrs Prior are the parents of a very clever family. Their elder surviving daughter, Elsie Bateman [sic], now located with her husband in British North Borneo, is a BSc, London University, and the younger daughter, Miss Olive Prior, now a commissioned officer of the W.A.A.C, in France, was equally successful in her academic career. Sec. Lieut. Jack Prior, of the Machine Gun Corps, also in France, gained his Inter. BSc before leaving Borden School, in the summer of 1916, to join another battalion in the Royal Fusiliers.

The passing of such a fine young fellow as Harry Prior has caused profound sorrow among a large circle of friends and acquaintances, who were watching his career with the greatest interest.

At Holy Trinity Church on Sunday evening the Vicar (the Rev. J C Eyre Kidson), during the course of his service, said: “We have heard this week that another of our dear lads has paid the penalty of his bright and hopeful young life. Harry Prior joined up in the early days of the was as a private, and had just been promoted to the rank of second-lieutenant. From all I know of him, he would, I am sure, had God give him the opportunity, have upheld the higher traditions of the British Army as a soldier, a Christian, and a gentleman.” At the close of the service the organist, Private H Browne, L.T.C.L., of the Queen’s Regiment, played Chopin’s Funeral March, the congregation standing.

On Monday afternoon the remains of the deceased officer were laid to rest amid every expression of public sympathy. Full military honours were paid, the band and officers’ firing party from the 3rd Wilts Regiment being in attendance. The remains were conveyed on a gun carriage, and were covered with a Union Jack, upon which reposed the cap of the young officer and some flowers from the bereaved parents. Immediately preceding the gun carriage was an open landau conveying the many beautiful floral tributes. The cortege was of imposing dimensions, being swelled by a contingent of the older members of the cadet corps of Borden Grammar School, who came to the memory of one of the school’s distinguished “old boys.” The bearer party was composed of six stalwart young airmen, whose presence to pay the last sad office to a brother officer was keenly appreciated. The mourners were the father and mother, and Mrs Townhill of East Croydon (aunt). The son and daughter, who were in France, were unable to get leave to be present on Monday. Other mourners present included Lieut. Shaw, representing the squadron to which the deceased officer was attached, Lieut. L R Dence, of the R.A.M.C. Volunteers, and Mr J E French, first officer of the local corps of the St John Ambulance Brigade, in which Mr Prior, senior, holds a prominent position. Mr W Murdock, the headmaster of Borden Grammar School, followed, as also did Mr George Sellen, representing the Admiralty Department at Messrs Wills and Packham’s works. The body was taken to Holy Trinity Church, where there was a large gathering of friends and neighbours. The Vicar conducted a most impressive service, in which the choir took part. The altar had been decorated, by Miss Kidson, in the colours of the R.A.F. While the mourners were gathering Miss Sellen, who was at the organ, played “I know that my Redeemer liveth” (Handel). and during the service the hymn, “Now the labourer’s task is o’er,” was sung. While the coffin was being taken from the church the organist played “O rest in the Lord” (Mendelssohn). As the cortege proceeded through the main street of the town, hundreds of people watched its passing, and paid a last tribute to the memory of a gallant soldier. On reaching the cemetery more friends of the deceased young man joined the party of mourners, including Miss Green, the superintendent of the Y.M.C.A. at Sittingbourne, and Mr and Mrs Daniel Wills. The committal prayers having been said, the usual three volleys were fired over the grave, and the bugles ended the sad ceremony by sounding the “Last Post.”

The many beautiful floral tokens included a beautiful wreath from the Commanding Officer and officers of the deceased officer’s squadron, located in the Midland counties; a wreath from the civil workmen at the deceased’s aerodrome; a floral triangle from the Y.M.C.A. at Sittingbourne, in which the young lieutenant had taken a great interest; a wreath from Messrs Wills and Packham, Ltd, and another from the workmen on the same firm, and others. The floral tokens numbered well over twenty.