Great War Centenary: Henry Haylock

Henry Haylock was my second cousin twice removed and was born in Grimsby in 1874, fifth of the ten children of John & Elizabeth (nee Langford).  He married Florence Crane in Nottingham in 1899 and they had a son, Eric, and a daughter, Beatrice. 

Henry joined the Volunteer Battalion of the Leicestershire Regiment circa 1894 and was promoted to Lieutenant in 1910.  The Battalion went to France on active service on 2nd March 1915.  He died at Messines Ridge on 11 May 1915, as a result of wounds received during a trench raid.  He is buried at Packhorse Farm Shrine Cemetery in Flanders

The Leicester Chronicle* has a couple of reports from soldiers who were also with the 1st/4th Leicesters at the time:-  ".....the Germans attacked one of our trenches with bombs soon after midnight, killed several, including Captain Haylock, and took the trench for a short while."   "Sergeant E Carr, of C Company, first 4th Leicesters, writing to his father, ...... refers to the death of Captain Haylock, and pays high tribute to his bravery.  He says: "Last night (Monday May 10th) it was very quiet in the firing line until about 11.30pm, when some of the Germans crept up to one of the trenches and dropped some bombs there.  Soon after it was hell on earth, for we thought we were going to be attacked.  I am very sorry to say their bombs killed one of our officers and a sergeant, and wounded several other non-commissioned officers and men.  No doubt you will soon know who this officer was.  He was very popular with the men and we are all grieved to know that he is dead.  He was badly hurt, but he was game to the last, telling the men not to let the Germans take the trenches."

From the same edition comes the official announcement: "Killed in action, in Flanders, on Tuesday, the 11th inst., Henry Haylock, Capt. 1.4th Leicesters, dearly loved husband of Florence (Dolly) Haylock, of Gaywood, Stoneygate-road, Leicester and third son of Mr and Mrs J W Haylock, of Thornleigh, Regent-road, Leicester.  Buried in Belgium, where he fell."

We will remember them.

*Edition dated 22 May 1915, found via the British Newspaper Archive

Great War Centenary: Harry Nicholls

Henry Thomas Frederick Nicholls, to give him his "Sunday Best" name, was born in Newmarket in 1895, sixth of the eight children of George & Rosa (nee Fordham).  He was my third cousin three times removed and lived with his family in Queen Street, Newmarket.

In the 1911 census he was aged 16, and listed as an errand boy.  By 1915 he was a Lance-Corporal with the 1st Battalion, Suffolk Regiment, having enlisted in his home town.  

He was killed in action on 8th May that year in Flanders.  Like so many others he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate in Ypres.

We will remember them.