Remembering Those, like Harold J, Tyrell, Who Served In World War I: Armistice Day Ceremony In Carroll Park

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Joan d'Amico of the Court Street and Smith Street Business Associations

Bruce McDonald of Friends of Carroll Park

Councilmember Brad Lander

There was no better way to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of Armistice Day than in front of the World War 1 Memorial in Carroll Park this past Sunday, November 11th, 2018.

As part of their annual Veterans Day Ceremony, the Court Street and Smith Street Business Associations and Friends of Carroll Park invited Carroll Gardens residents to honor those who served this country, and to especially remember the brave men from the 8th Assembly District who lost their lives in military service during WW1. Their names are engraved on the bronze plaques of the 18-foot pink granite memorial that was dedicated on June 19, 1921 and to this day serves as a centerpiece of our park.

It was wonderful to see so many Carroll Gardeners, young and old, take a moment to mark this deeply moving moment.

PMFA would like to take this opportunity to repost a piece below, which we published in 2011 about one of the names on the plaque, that of Harold J. Terrell

Harold J Tyrell

311 Henry Street, where Harold J Tyrell's family once lived

309 Henry Street, next door, was also mentioned as the family's address on one document

At the time of his death, 133 Huntington was listed as Tyrell's address

How many times since I moved to the neighborhood have I walked past the World War I memorial in Carroll Park and glanced at the 187 names engraved on the two bronze plaques affixed on either sides of the 18 foot high pink granite monument?

And how many times did I wonder who those young men were and if members of their families still lived in the neighborhood? After all, each name represents a young soldier or sailor from the surrounding 8th Assembly District, who lost his life. I should have taken the time to find out something about them, but except for taking part in Memorial Day celebrations in the park, I never gave them another thought.

That is until just a few days ago. This is what happened.

I received an email from Thomas H. Seward of Upstate New York. He was researching the life of his great-uncle, Harold JJ Tyrell, and wondered if the name had been included on the Carroll Park monument.

Of course, I would check, I wrote back. The next time I walked through the park, I took a glance at the plaques. Sure enough, Harold's name was right there, though it had been misspelled. I took photos and sent them to Thomas. In exchange, he sent me some of the info he had been able to gather about his ancestor.

Thomas' research showed that Harold J. Tyrell was born in Brooklyn on May 13, 1898, one of six children of Alfred Delancey Tyrell and Dora (Dorothy) Foley Tyrell. His family seems to have lived at 311 Henry Street for quite a few years, though other documents mention 209 Henry Street as an address as well. Harold enlisted in the US Army as a Private 1st Class on April 14, 1917 and served in Company I, 106th Infantry Regiment, 27th Infantry Division. Sadly, he was killed in action, by shell fire, in France, during the opening day of the attack on the Hindenburg Line on 27 September 1918, just weeks before the end of WWI in November 1918.

A New York Times article from December 7th, 1918 praised "the Brooklyn Men of the 106th" at the Hindenburg Line on September 27th. " The valor of the officers and men of the regiment is well indicated by the location of the bodies of their gallant comrades who fell in the battle by the large number of enemy dead about them."

Harold was laid to rest at the Somme American Cemetery, near the village of Bony, France, together with many of the war dead who fought during WWI. He was 20 years old when he died and was predeceased by his mother (1916) and his brothers John (1909), and Frederic (1911.) He was survived by his father, sister Carrie (Henry A.) Seward, brother Alfred, and sister Dorothy.
Thomas told me that it is his greatest wish to take his family to the Somme Cemetery on November 11, 1918. He adds, "Harold is remembered."

Now thanks to Thomas, hopefully, Harold will be remembered by Carroll Gardeners.

I know that I will be looking for his name as I walk by the monument.