Name
Harry Fisher
1883
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
28/09/1916
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
43291
Bedfordshire Regiment
7th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
MILL ROAD CEMETERY, THIEPVAL
I. D. 12.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Hitchin Town Memorial, St Mary's Church Roll of Honour, Hitchin
Pre War
Henry, also known as Harry, and was born in Hersham, Surrey in 1883 and was baptised 8 October 1883. His parents were Edward and Ellen Fisher. His first connection to Hitch was found because he is mentioned in the Lawson Thompson Scrapbooks held by Hitchin Museum.
In 1891 the family were living at Broad Lane, Walton on Thames. Present were both parents: Edward (34) and Ellen (36), with Edward working as a farm labourer. Their children were: Rosie (10), Henry (Harry) (7) and Florrie (2).
They were still living at Broad Lane, Walton on Thames in 1901. The family were both parents, with Edward working as a general labourer. Rosie had left home, Henry, now 18 was also working as a general labourer. Florie was still present and they had a new sibling Percy (2).
Henry/Harry married Ada Maud (née Ottaway) on 12 April 1908, and by 1911 the family had moved to 4 Powers Cotts, Molesey Rd, Hersham. Present were Henry (27) and Ada Maud (27) with their two children Grace Ellen (2) and Harold, just 6 months.
Later another child, Florence Kate, was born on 2 October 1914.
Officially Harry was recorded as born in Hersham, Surrey and was living there when he enlisted in Kingston-On-Thames.
Wartime Service
Initially he was regimental number 3/9374 in the East Surrey
Regiment, but was later transferred to the 7th Battalion of the Bedfordshire Regiment with
the Regimental Number 43291. However, at some point his medal records that he
was Private 21865, in the Northamptonshire Regiment.
At the time of his death this Battalion was part of the 54th
Brigade in the 18th Division.
The Medal Rolls state that he was sent to the Balkans on the
11th November 1915 and that he died of wounds, whereas ‘Soldiers died’ database
states that he was killed in action in France (from his burial location it
would be France). The probability is that he went to the Balkans possibly with
the East Surreys but later served with the Bedfordshires in France.
On the 27th September 1916 there was fierce hand to hand
fighting at the Schwaben Redoubt. On the 28th September the 7th Bedfords
attacked leading the left of the 18th Division attack on the Schwaben Redoubt
and were then withdrawn to Thiepval which had recently been cleared of the
enemy.
At first, he was reported as missing, then as presumed killed.
He was in ‘B’ Company of the 7th Bedfords in the attack on Thiepval and the
Schwaben Redoubt to the north, which took place between the 26th - 30th
September 1916. ‘B’ Company was one of the two assaulting Companies. The attack
started at 1 pm. The Battle Report said that many men might have been saved if
there had been more stretcher-bearers. ‘B’ Company suffered severely from
machine-gun fire.
He was buried in Plot l, Row D, Grave 12 in the Mill Road
Cemetery, Thiepval in France. The gravestones here have had to be laid flat due
to subsidence from the Schwaben Redoubt tunnels.
Additional Information
No obvious connection with Hitchin has been established.
After his death 14s 9d was authorised to go to his widow on 17 November 1917. Later, a war gratuity of £4 10s was authorised to be paid to her, on 16 October 1919.
His pension cards record Ada, his widow, as his next of kin, living at Molesey, Hersham, Surrey, Hitchin. She was awarded a pension of 22s 11d a week from 21 May 1917. It also confirms two children Grace Ellen born 23 August 1908 and Florence Kate born 2 October 1914. Harold, their son, was not mentioned, so perhaps he had died.
Acknowledgments
David C Baines, Jonty Wild
