Henry was born in 1884 in Peckham and in 1891, aged 9, was living with his parents James, 50 a General Labourer, May (Mary Anne) 46, a Laundress, and siblings Florence,17, James, 14, a Van Guard/Carman, Jessie, 13, Ethel 8 and Ernest 6. The family lived at 175 Kirkwood Rd., Peckham. James originally hailed from Havering, Essex and May from Norwood. The children had all been born in Peckham.
By 1901 Henry was still living with his parents in Peckham and was working as a Plasterer’s Labourer.
In late 1906 Henry married Susannah Moore who was also from Peckham. The marriage taking place in Camberwell. In 1911 they had moved from Peckham and were living at 1 Blaxland Villas, Bellegrove, Welling, Kent. By this time Henry had moved on to be a Clerk for Camberwell Borough Council. They had no children, but their 3 year old niece, Ethel Winifred Batt, was staying with them.
We know little of Henry’s military service other than at some time he enlisted in Camberwell and joined the 1/21st (1st Surrey Rifles) a Territorial Battalion of the London Regiment with the Service number, 650462, joining ‘B’ company. The Battalion initially formed part of the 140th Brigade and in early 1918 were transferred to 141st Brigade of the 47th British Division. From his high service number it would mean that Henry probably did not join the Battalion until at least early 1917. After training it is doubtful that he would been posted to France until mid/late 1917.
The Battalion were in action in late 1917 during the Battle of Cambrai where the 47th Division took Bourlon Wood.
At the beginning of 1918 the Surrey Rifles were still near to the Cambrai both in the front line and in support and carrying out further training. On the 21st March they were at the village of Villiers Plouich still near the Cambrai frontline when the German Army started the Michele Offensive with the aim of defeating the Allied armies before the American forces arrived in strength. The Battalion were forced to retreat and by the 4th April they were in line at Auvely Wood near the city of Albert, some 30 miles from Cambrai where the German offensive was eventually stopped.
Henry, having survived the retreat was wounded at about this time and died from these wounds on the 6th April 1918 aged 33.
Henry is buried at Varennes Military Cemetary, The Somme, France, Grave Ref. 1.L.36 and is also commemorated on the East Wickham and Welling Memorial.
At the time of his death his wife’s address is given as 81 Upper Wickham Lane, Welling, Kent.
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