I didn't know my great uncle, his brother was my grandfather. His family was fractured and my grandfather didn't tell me about William Charles Henry. At the time of the war my grandfather was in a children's home, one brother was in foster care and another was on a training ship. William CH Barratt lived with his grandmother in Tottenham. He joined the Middle*** Regiment at the outbreak of war, but then joined the Machine Gun Corps, trained and went to France where he died after his machine gun post took a direct hit. He was the only member of his battalion to die on that day. I have visited his grave in France twice. I am immensely proud of his bravery and willingness to lay down his life so that others could live freely.

Gill Barratt