WWI Memorial Cross - Courcelette PPCLI - GRV (A11098 Pte. C. HARRINGTON). Naming is officially engraved. Dark patina, light contact, near extremely fine. Accompanied by a CD containing ten pages with copies of his Index Cards, Attestation Paper, Service Records, Medical Records and Will, along with assorted paper research material and Remembrance Wall photograph. Footnote: 411098 (A11098) Cyril Harrington was born on July 1, 1885, in Newport, Monmouthshire, England, the son of Mr. and Mrs. William Harrington of "Kingscott", Pentonville, Newport, Monmouthshire. He was an engineering student at the University of Saskatchewan when he signed his Attestation Paper on March 16, 1915 at Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, with the 1st University Company, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Reinforcements, naming his father as his next-of-kin, stating that he had no previous military service, that he was not married and that his trade was that of Student. Ten weeks later, Private Harrington embarked Montreal, Quebec on May 29th aboard the S.S. Northland, for the conflict in Europe, arriving in Plymouth, England on June 4th. Upon arrival, he was posted to the 11th Reserve Battalion on June 16th and one month to the day, he embarked England for the French theatre, taken on strength in France on July 17th, joining the PPCLI in the field on the 28th. He was later taken on strength at the Canadian Base Depot from No. 1 Camp Details on January 14, 1916. Harrington was sentenced to three days Field Punishment No. 1 on February 9, 1916 for two violations: 1. Absent from Tattoo Roll Call and 2. Drunkenness, both having taken place at Canadian Base Depot on February 7th. That Spring, he left the Depot for his unit on April 11, 1916, arriving with them on the 13th. The next month, he was granted nine days leave of absence on May 8th but he overstayed his leave and was declared absent without leave in England, on the 17th. He finally rejoined his unit four days late on the 21st. Three months later, as the Summer was coming to a close, he was transferred to No. 10 Canadian Field Artillery, reporting for duty on August 13, 1916. Harrington was Killed in Action on the first day of the Battle of Flers-Courcelette on September 15, 1916, at the age of 31. The battle was part of the Franco-British Somme Offensive, which took place in the Summer and Fall of 1916. Launched on September 15, 1916, the battle went on for one week. It was the third and final general offensive mounted by the British Army during the Battle of the Somme. He was no known grave and is remembered with honour at the Vimy Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. His handwritten Will, dated October 5, 1915, stated that "In the event of my death I give the whole of my property and effects to William Harrington Esq, Kingscott, Newport, Mon, England". His mother received his Memorial Cross, which was sent on May 29, 1919.
