Harry Harte was born in Southwark, London on 4 October 1911, the son of Harry Edwin Harte, a wholesale fruit and vegetable salesman, and Mary Ann Harte. At the time of the 1939 Register, Harry Harte was also listed as a fruit and vegetable salesman.

He joined the Royal Navy as an Able Seaman after the outbreak of WWII. He volunteered to serve in submarines and in X-Craft. After joining HMS VARBEL and completing X-Craft training he was selected for the passage crew of HMS X9. Overnight 15/16 September 1943, X9 was being towed by HMS SYRTIS enroute to the Kaafjord in Norway to attack the German Pocket Battleship SCHARNHORST. On being ordered to surface on the morning of 16 September, X9 failed to surface and was presumed lost on tow. It was later determined that the manilla towing cable had parted and the additional weight of the waterlogged cable had dragged X9 below safe depth.

Harry Harte of 22, Broughton Road, Orpington in Kent is commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial on Panel No. 69 Column 1, on the 12th Submarine Flotilla Memorials in the Kaafjord Cemetery, Finmark Fylke, Norway, at Kylesku and at Rothesay on the Isle of Bute.