Time to mark resting place of heroic soldier who saved castle
The Old Military Cemetery
On Remembrance Sunday I stood on my doorstep and thought of the vast numbers of soldiers buried in the Old Town Cemetery.
The commemorations range from a 14-year-old drummer boy James Macdonald to second generations of immigrants New Zealand who died in World War Two in the Pacific Campaign - Sergeant Pilot Peter RS Miller of the New Zealand Air Force.
However, I focused on the old Military Cemetery, which stood to the west of the Pyramid. If you know the spot you will realise that there are no markers there. After the establishment of the Valley Cemetery, soldiers and their family members were buried in the Military Row and there are two mass graves in the row.
I don’t know how many people were buried in the old cemetery and I am trying to find out. I do however know the story of Gunner Charles Haimes.
Charles died from over exertion in 1855 after saving the castle and probably the Top of The Town from destruction. On the night of November 18, a piece of hot coal fell from a grate in the Governor’s House and the resultant fire destroyed the Douglas Room and was only just stopped from reaching a powder store by the heroic efforts of Charles.
He was given a full military funeral and there was a public subscription for a gravestone but it never raised enough money. His family including nine children, the youngest of whom celebrated his first birthday on the day his dad died, eventually emigrated to America.
While Charles’story and sacrifice is known his final resting place is not. I think it is time to mark his and his brother soldiers’graves and I shall be working towards getting some commemoration next to the old military cemetery.
In the meantime please spare a thought for Charles.