Remembrance Sunday: Eastbourne man who died during Battle of the Somme to feature in Parliament's commemorations
A man from Eastbourne who died during the Battle of the Somme will be featured in Remembrance Sunday commemorations at the Houses of Parliament.
Lieutenant The Hon Vere Sidney Tudor Harmsworth was born in Eastbourne on September 25, 1895.
Vere was killed on November 13, 1916, during the Battle of the Ancre, in the final stages of the Somme offensive. He was 21.
His story, and four others’ who served during the Battle of the Somme, will be projected onto the Elizabeth Tower on the evening of Remembrance Sunday (November 8) between 7pm and 11pm.
The Elizabeth Tower, widely known as Big Ben, was renamed from the Clock Tower in 2012 to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.
The four nations of the UK will be represented in the illumination as part of commemorations to mark the 110th anniversary of one of the most harrowing yet defining moments of the First World War.
Vere was the son of Viscount Rothermere and nephew of Viscount Northcliffe and belonged to one of the most influential publishing families in Britain.
His father and nephew founded Associated Newspapers Ltd in 1905.
He was educated at the Royal Naval College on the Isle of Wight and subsequently at the Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth, where he passed out in August 1912.
Vere went on to train as a naval officer but was discharged in January 1914 after gunfire damaged his hearing.
Studying at Cambridge when the First World War broke out, he volunteered for the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve and joined Hawke Battalion, Royal Naval Division.
He escaped internment in the neutral Netherlands following the retreat from Antwerp and subsequently served at Gallipoli before moving to France in 1916.
During the attack on the Somme on November 13, Vere reportedly continued to lead his men despite being wounded twice, before being killed by a shell. His commanding officer later praised Vere for his courage and endurance.
Hawke Battalion suffered devastating losses, with every officer recorded as a casualty.
Vere is buried at Ancre British Cemetery, France, Plot V, Row E, Grave 19.