Name
Henry Humphery Tibbles
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
16/04/1917
33
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
27670
Bedfordshire Regiment
8th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
PHILOSOPHE BRITISH CEMETERY, MAZINGARBE
I.N.53
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
John Dickinson & Co Memorial, Croxley Mill, Croxley Green,
Rickmansworth Urban District Memorial,
Oddfellows Memorial, Rickmansworth,
Not on the Chorleywood memorial
Pre War
Henry Humphrey, as he was first known, was born out of wedlock to Mary Ann Humphrey, aged 19, on 21 May 1883. She lived with her mother in Currants Bottom, Chorleywood. His father was Henry Tibbles, aged 18.
On 27 July 1884 Henry’s father married Mary Ann Baldwin and they went on to have eight children. They settled in Wharf Lane, Rickmansworth and by 1911 were living in 89 Norfolk Road. In 1901 Henry was working as a book maker in printing and in 1911 as a stoker at Croxley Mill, where his father worked too. In the early 1900s he changed his surname to Tibbles.
Recorded as born in Chorleywood and was living in Rickmansworth when he enlisting in Watford.
Wartime Service
Private Henry Humphery Tibbles of the 8th Bedfordshires died of wounds on 16 April 1917.
On 15 April the 8th battalion took up position in trenches between Vermelles and Grenay near Loos. At midday they attacked together with the 1st Buffs during the Battle of Hill 70. They moved up to the south of Loos under heavy hostile barrage. 28 other ranks were wounded. On 16 April the battalion consolidated its gains but 2 other ranks were killed and 17 wounded.
In July 1917 the army returned the sum of £4 9s 9d to his father and in November 1919 awarded him a war gratuity. According to the National Roll of the Great War Henry joined up in 1916 and proceeded to France in the same year.
During his service on the Western Front he was in action at the Battles of Cambrai, Ypres and Arras.
He is buried at Mazingarbe, between Bethune and Lens.
Acknowledgments
Malcolm Lennox, U3A, Our Village in the Great War, Brian Thomson
