In the autumn of 1916, as the Battle of the Somme was drawing to an exhausted stalemate, the Battalion was in the hotly contested area of Mouquet Farm when, on 20 Oct 1916, a shell exploded among 'A' Company and 23 men were killed or wounded.  Henry was one of those who lost his life.

Tragically, he shouldn't have been there, he should have been at home enjoying the warmth and comfort of his family.  He had been granted seven days leave, his first respite after over a year in the squalor of the Western Front, but he had given up his leave in favour of another man whose wife was seriously ill.

His unassuming act of selfless sacrifice merited no military honour, no medals or mention in dispatches, but it marks him as a true hero.  Henry died upholding the deepest principle of civilised society – respect and love for his fellow man – and the memory of his action provides a guiding light for us all.

For his family at Redburn House, Bardon Mill, the loss was profound.  It must have devastated their lives.  Of four brothers who answered the call to arms, three were killed within weeks of each other - swallowed by the carnage of the Somme.

Jef Robinson