McCaghey, Harold Abraham

Flight Lieutenant Harold Abraham McCaghey (RCAF)

Harold McCaghey was a Northern Bank official (accountant) between the years of 1921 to 1930 and although he is not recorded on the Northern Bank War Memorial / Roll of Honour, he qualifies as a former official who served in WW2 with the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).

Part 15 Civil Employment record on H A McCaghey's
RCAF Officer's Application & Record Sheet

Sadly, Harold was to die by his own hand on 8th or 9th June 1942 at the Royal Alexander Hotel, Winnipeg, Canada. He was found dead in his room at 08:15 hrs on 9th June 1942. His Will was signed and dated 3rd January 1941 leaving all his estate to his wife Elva.

F/L H A McCaghey - CWGC Headstone

His wartime RCAF file consisting of 36 documents and photographs were kindly provided by Nigel Henderson, Researcher, History Hub Ulster who came across the Northern Bank connection on looking at the 8th page of the documentation.

The following biography of Harold McCaghey was written by Barry Niblock for his website 'The War Dead of North Down and Ards'.

The death of Flight Lieutenant Harold Abraham McCaghey (No. C/2076) was reported in the 20 June 1942 edition of the County Down Spectator under the headline Bangor Flying Officer’s Death.

Harold Abraham McCaghey was born on 10th June 1903 in Newry Road, Banbridge and he was the youngest son of William John McCaghey ISO MBE and Jean (Jeanie) McCaghey (nee Hunter) who, at the time of his death, were living at 5 Knockmore Park, Bangor. Before that, the McCaghey family lived at 7 Glenburn Park, Belfast and before that at 4 Mountainview Terrace, Banbridge. William John McCaghey and Jeannie Hunter were married on 5th August 1896 in Magherally Presbyterian Church, Banbridge.

William John McCaghey worked as a bookkeeper in a linen factory, later becoming an inspector of factories and then Chief Inspector of Factories for Northern Ireland. He and Jeannie had at least four children:

· Darwin Edward (born 30 May 1897 in Banbridge)
· James Hunter (born 4 January 1900 in Banbridge)
· Harold Abraham (born 10 June 1903 in Newry Road, Banbridge)
· Annie Margaret (born 8 November 1906 at Laurel Lodge, Glenburn Park, Belfast)

Harold was educated at Keighley Grammar School in Yorkshire and Methodist College, Belfast. On leaving school he worked for the Northern Bank in Dublin and Belfast. 

He had a fine baritone voice and won several singing competitions throughout Ireland. When living in Bangor he sang in the choir of First Bangor Presbyterian Church.

Belfast News-Letter, 3rd January 1929.
Mr Harold McCaghey, Baritone, Belfast Feis

Around 1932 Harold moved to Canada where he worked in Toronto and, some six years later, he married Elva May Shaver of Ancaster, Hamilton, Ontario. They had one daughter.

At the outbreak of hostilities Harold joined the Royal Canadian Air Force and he was stationed in Winnipeg, Ontario when he died on 9 June 1942. Elva May Shaver, who was born in 1904, died in 1993.

Flight Lieutenant Harold Abraham McCaghey (No. C/2076) was 38 when he died, and he was buried in the Shaver family plot in Ancaster (Bethesda United Church) Cemetery, Ontario, Canada. There is an inscription on his CWGC headstone:

BORN 10TH JUNE 1903

IN BANBRIDGE

NORTHERN IRELAND

Flight Lieutenant Harold Abraham McCaghey (No. C/2076) is commemorated on the Canadian Virtual War Memorial (Internet) and on Page 95 in the Canadian Second World War Book of Remembrance.