Harry Farr
| Harry Farr | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1891 London, England |
| Died | 18 October 1916 (aged 25) Carnoy, France |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom
|
| Service/branch |
 British Army
|
| Battles/wars | First World War |
Private Harry Farr (1891– 18 October 1916) was a British soldier who was executed during World War I for cowardice at the age of 25. He came from Kensington in London and was serving in the 1st Battalion, the West Yorkshire Regiment.
Harry Farr was born in 1891. He joined the British Army on 8 May 1908, enlisting at Hursely Park. He deployed with the 2nd Battalion of his regiment as part of the British Expeditionary Force in 1914 and fought in the trenches on the Western Front. His position was repeatedly shelled, and in May 1915 he collapsed with strong convulsions. His wife Gertrude recalled that while he was in hospital, “He shook all the time. He couldn't stand the noise of the guns. We got a letter from him, but it was in a stranger's handwriting. He could write perfectly well, but couldn't hold the pen because his hand was shaking.”
It is now thought by professionals that Farr was possibly suffering from hyperacusis, which occurs when the olivocochlear bundle in the inner ear is damaged by sound causing it to lose its ability to soften and filter sound, making loud noises physically unbearable (auditory efferent dysfunction). Despite this, Farr was discharged from hospital and sent back to the front with the 1st Battalion, where he fought in the Battle of the Somme. Farr reported himself to the medical station several times over the following months. In April 1916, he was kept at the medical station for a fortnight due to his state. On 22 July he spent the night at a medical station and was discharged for duty the following morning. On 17 September, he again attempted to seek the help of a medical orderly, but was refused as he was not physically wounded and the aid station was dealing with a high number of battle casualties.
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