Gorman, Harry Fortescue, 1901-1946

Person

Gorman, Harry Fortescue, 1901-1946

1901-1946

Gorman, Harry Fortescue, son of Major William Henry Gorman, of Purley, Surrey, by Florence, daughter of Major Robert John Hickman, 60th Rifles, of Hersham, Surrey; b. Sept. 8, 1901; adm. as K.S. Sept. 23, 1915; left July 1920; a member of the firm of Patons and Baldwins, Ltd., Halifax; later engaged in business at Hove, Sussex; 2nd Lieut. R.A. Sept. 7, 1940; Lieut.-Col.; mentioned in despatches (N.W. Europe) L.G. Nov. 8, 1945, and April 4, 1946; m. Sept. 14, 1933, Frances Isabella Patricia, elder daughter of Albert Clifford Robinson, of Brighouse, Yorks; killed in a motor accident in Germany Jan. 20, 1946.

Harry Fortescue Gorman was born at Dover, Kent on the 8th of September 1901 the elder son of Major William Henry Gorman, East Surrey Regiment, and Florence (nee Hickman) Gorman of “Rozel”, Woodcote Valley Road, Purley in Surrey, later of Willow Drive, Halifax. He was educated at Westminster School where he was a King’s Scholar from the 23rd of September 1915 to July 1920. He was a member of the 2nd Football XI in 1917 and of the 1st Football XI in 1917 and 1918. He was a member of the 1st Cricket XI in 1717 and was a member of the Officer Training Corps.
On leaving school he worked for the firm of Patons and Baldwins Ltd, knitting yarn manufacturers of Halifax, and was later in business at Hove in Sussex.
He was married at St Martin’s Church, Brighouse, Yorkshire on the 14th of September 1933 to Frances Isabella Patricia (nee Robinson) and they lived at “Tanaghmore”, Pangbourne in Sussex. They had two daughters, Janet, born on the 18th of August 1934, Sarah, and a son, Charles, born in 1937.
He attended an Officer Cadet Training Battalion before being commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Artillery on the 7th of September 1940.
He was created as a Member of the British Empire and the recommendation for the award read as follows: - ““Major Gorman has been OC 218 Det Mil Gov during the whole of the period 1 Feb 45 – 30 Apr 45 and in the performance of his duties he has shown outstanding zeal and ability. Operating under most trying conditions and often under fire with the leading troops his disregard for danger and devotion to duty have largely contributed to the successful imposition of Mil Gov in 8 Corps area.”
He was twice Mentioned in Despatches for “Gallant and distinguished services in North-West Europe”, which were announced by the War Office on the 8th of November 1945 and on the 4th of April 1946.
He was killed in a motor accident at Hamburg.
He is commemorated on the war memorial at Rottingdean, Sussex.
He is buried at Hamburg Cemetery Plot 1A, Row C, Grave 15.

Lieutenant Colonel 145812 MBE; Royal Artillery

GB 2014

International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families - ISAAR(CPF) 2nd edition

Final

Full

Prepared for import into AtoM by Westminster School Archive staff, 2019-2020. Updated by Bethany Duck, Archives Assistant, September 2022.

The Record of Old Westminsters: A biographical list of all those who are known to have been educated at Westminster School from Play 1883 to Election 1960, Volume 3, compiled by J.B. Whitmore, G.R.Y. Radcliffe and D.C. Simpson, Barnet, 1963.

Westminster School Second World War Memorial by John C. Hamblin, 2022.