Harold Arthur Gartside

Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks — Helena, MT

Veteran → Veteran → Accident

End of Watch April 24, 1955

Age 39

Tour of Duty 9 yrs

The Vigil Panel 91 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 7

Incident

Game Warden Harold Gartside drowned when his patrol boat capsized as he investigated illegal beaver traps. Game Warden Gartside and another man were checking beaver traps along the Missouri shores when the boat hit a snag and capsized south of Bainville near the Snowden Bridge. The boat's other occupant reached the shore and then searched for Gartside without success. His body was later recovered 20 miles downstream on June 24. Game Warden Gartside was a World War II Army veteran and had served with the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks for nine years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and two daughters.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MT-AEC9F608
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Army, salute.nw. One record, 3 gates. Harold is one person.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Game Warden Gartside gave the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks 9 years.
Thank you for your service to the Helena community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks

Type Federal Agency

Location Helena, MT

Platform Identity mdfwpcons.fed.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch April 24, 1955

Tour of Duty 9 yrs

Age 39

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Military Service

Harold Arthur Gartside served in the the United States military (1942â1946) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Game Warden Harold Arthur Gartside is one of 1 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,759 officers honored here.

In MT, 34 of 142 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 23.9% of this state's fallen. That is 23.9 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, 5 of 8 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 62.5% of this agency's fallen.

Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks

of 8 officers

62.5% Accident

MT — Statewide

of 142 officers

23.9% Accident

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Accident