Name
Henry Colin Hagger
Circa 1896
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
03/07/1916
21
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
G/6763
The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment)
6th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
Pier and Face 11 C.
France
Headstone Inscription
NA
UK & Other Memorials
Hitchin Town Memorial, Holy Saviour Church War Memorial, Radcliffe Rd., Hitchin, St Mary's Church Roll of Honour, Hitchin
Pre War
Henry was born around 1896 in Hitchin and his parents were Henry George and Eliza Maria Hagger (née Spencer). They married on 20 February 1888.
In 1901 the family were living at 3 Dacre Road, Hitchin, where they remained for the later census and after Henry George’s death. Present were both parents: Henry (38) and Eliza (36), with Henry (senior) and working as a butcher. Their children were: George Daniel Spencer (10), Henry Colin (5) and Sarah Ann Hagger (8). Also present was Eliza’s mother Sarah Spencer (61).
Henry George’s father died in 1908, so by 1911 the family were Eliza, now a widow, and her children George, Sarah and Henry, now 15 and working as a house boy.
Officially he was recorded as born in Hitchin, Herts., and enlisting in Shepherds Bush, London.
Wartime Service
Henry volunteered in June 1915 went to the Western Front later that year. He was posted to the 6th Battalion and was given the Regimental Number G/6763. He was wounded in earlier engagements but later fought on the Somme, he was later reported missing after an engagement at Thiepval Wood on the 1st July 1916. Later he was presumed killed
The 6th (Service) Battalion was part of the 37th Brigade in the 12th (Eastern) Division and moved from Bresle to Millencourt in reserve on the 1st July and during the night went to trenches just west of Ovillers. They were in action on the 3rd July. ‘A’ and ‘C’ Companies went forward at 3.15am on the left flank and under heavy machine-gun fire reached the German front line in front of the village. ‘B’ and ‘D’ Companies followed, suffering high casualties and could not force the attack through to the second line of attack. They withdrew at 7.00am and in the evening retired to Bouzincourt. The casualties in the Battalion were 394 which was about half the fighting strength.
He has no known grave and is remembered on Pier/Face 11C of the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing in France.
Additional Information
After his death £1 6s 6d was authorised to go to his mother Eliza on 20 June 1917 and then another 13s 2d on 4 September 1917 at his brother George’s request. Later, a war gratuity of £4 was authorised to be paid to her, on 25 September 1919.
His pension cards record Eliza, his mother, as his dependant, living at 3 Dacre Road, Hitchin. She was awarded a pension of 3s a week from 3 April 1917.
Acknowledgments
David C Baines, Jonty Wild
