Name
Horace James Green
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
23/07/1916
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
265939
Hertfordshire Regiment
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
LOOS MEMORIAL
Panel 135.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Hitchin Town Memorial, 4 Co' Hertfordshire Reg' Territorials’ Memorial, Hitchin, Hitchin British Boys' School Memorial, Hitchin, St Mary's Church Roll of Honour, Hitchin, Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford
Pre War
Horace was born in 1896 in Hitchin and christened 18 November 1896. His parents were Arthur Thomas and Maria Green.
In 1901 the family were living at 17 Wratten Road, Hitchin. Present were both parents: Arthur (50) and Maria (40), with Arthur working as a French polisher. Their children were: Alice (16), William (14), Florence (12), Edward (10), Lilian Edith (9), John (6), Horace James (4), Christopher Howard (2) and Albert Victor at 3 months.
By 1911 the family were living at 109 Whinbush Road, Hitchin, Herts. Present were both parents, Arthur still working as a French polisher and Maria now a boarding house keeper. The census recorded they had been married for 12 years with 12 children, all living. Of the above children William, Florence, Edward and John had left home and Horace was now 14 and a shop assistant in a gents outfitter. There were two new siblings Philip Nuttall (8) and Stanley Nuttall (6). Also present were boarders William George Campbell, his wife Edith Campbell and their child Agnes, plus Emma Mutimer.
Officially Horace was recorded as living in Hitchin, Herts., when he enlisted in Hertford.
Wartime Service
Horace enlisted in the was Herts Territorials between 6 September and 4 November 1914, and given the service number Private 3295. As he was not a pre-war Territorial, and therefore untrained, he would not have gone to France with the trained Herts ‘Terriers’ who went on 4 November 1914. If fact he did not go overseas until after 1915. He was renumbered to 265939 in early 1917(*1).
The ‘Herts Express’ dated 2nd September 1916 recorded that he had been attached to the Gloucestershire Regiment – confirmed as the 8th Battalion in his pension records and was presumably with them when he died.
At 9:30pm on the 22 July 1916 the entered the trenches near Bazentin le Peitit, relieving the 10th Worcestershires and prepared to attack the German line near High Wood. The attack was launched with the 10th Royal Warwickshires and the 7th South Lancashires at 1am the war diary records “Attack failed our casualties being 1 officer killed, 5 wounded, 8 missing including the C.O. Lt Col de Wiart gun shot wound in the neck. 186 casualties in the other ranks.
Initial Horace was reported missing and then eventually as “Death presumed on or since 23 July 1916”.
The Herts Express reported on 1 December 1917 that his death was presumed. It confirmed his parents as living as 62 Radcliffe Road, Hitchin, but previously at Bancroft, Hitchin.
Additional Information
After his death £4 7s 9d was authorised to go to his father, Arthur, on 26 March 1919. Later, a war gratuity of £8 was authorised to be paid to his mother, Maria, on 11 October 1919.
His pension cards record his mother as his next of kin and mention the other son, John Henry who died, but do not give details of any pension awarded.
*1 at this time he was still officially missing and hence received a new service number, had his death been presumed nearer actual date his death, he would not have been renumbered.
Other Notes:
- As well as the newspaper articles referenced above his death was also reported in the Herts Mercury on 8 December 1917. In all these he was referred to as Sergeant Horace James Smith, however, no military records found was he listed as anything other than a private. It is perhaps possible that he received some sort of promotion while attached to the Gloucestershire, which was not officially recorded.
- Of Horace’s brothers John Henry of the Dragoon Guards was also killed, Edward Charles was with Canadian Foresters in France and William was Petty Officer in the Navy, and luckily had been home on leave when his ship was sunk.
Acknowledgments
Adrian Dunne, David C Baines, Jonty Wild
