Name
Denis Augustus Westwood
6 March 1895
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
15/09/1916
21
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Lance Corporal
19825
Royal Fusiliers *1
26th (County of London)(Service) Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
Pier and Face 8 C 9 A and 16 A.
France
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
St John the Evangelist Church Memorial, Boxmoor, St Mary's Church Memorial, Apsley End, Hemel Hempstead Town Memorial
Pre War
Denis Augustus Westwood was born on 6 March 1895 in Hemel Hempstead, the son of Arthur and Annie Westwood, and baptised on 5 May 1895 at St Paul's, Hemel Hempstead. He had a younger brother Stanley Edgar. When Denis was born his father was working as Clerk for John Dickinson & Co Ltd and the family lived at Westview Road, Hemel Hempstead.
On the 1901 Census the family were living at Ashmore House, 10 Story Street, Hemel Hempstead and his father was working as a Commercial Clerk at the Apsley Mills factory of John Dickinson & Co.
By the 1911 Census the family had moved to 'Horndean' on the Manor Estate in Apsley. The estate was part of the grounds of Shendish Manor. His father was then working as a Foreman in the Engineering Repair Department of John Dickinson & Co and 16 year old Denis was a scholar at Berkhamsted School. He left later the same year and started work at Coopers of Berkhamsted as a clerk where he remained until he was called up in 1916.
Wartime Service
Denis was called up in 1916 and enlisted at St Paul's in London, joining the 26th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (London Regiment).
He was sent to Aldershot for basic training and went to France on 4 May 1916, being assigned to the 11th Platoon, G Company. He saw his first major action in September during the Battle of Flers-Courcelette. Over three days of the battle the Battalion incurred heavy casualties from rifle and machine gun fire and Denis was listed as wounded and missing following the Battle. His parents were notified and they did not receive confirmation of his death until over a year later.
He had only been at the Front for four months and was 21 years old when he was killed in action. He has no known grave and his name is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, France.
(N.B. the 26th Battalion Royal Fusiliers was formed in London on 17 July 1915 by the Lord Mayor and City of London, mainly from former bank clerks and accountants)
Additional Information
His father received a war gratuity of £3 and pay owing of £2 19s 3d. Pension records show that a war pension for his father was refused. His brother Stanley served as a 2nd Lieutenant with the Machine Gun Corps and survived the war.
*1 Believed more correctly, (County of London) Bn. London Regiment (Bankers).
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild, www.dacorumheritage.org.uk,www.hemelatwar.org., www.hemelheroes.com.
