Name
Henry John Moles
2 May 1898
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
23/03/1918
19
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Corporal
41415
Lincolnshire Regiment
2nd/5th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
QUEANT ROAD CEMETERY, BUISSY
Noreuil German Cem. Mem. 3.
France
Headstone Inscription
HE DIED THAT WE MIGHT LIVE IN PEACE
UK & Other Memorials
Hemel Hempstead Town Memorial,
Hoddesdon and Rye Park Town Memorial, Hoddesdon,
St Catherine and St Paul’s Church Memorial, Hoddesdon,
Hoddesdon Congregational Church Memorial,
Not on the Hitchin Memorial
Pre War
Henry John Moles was born on 2 May 1898 in Hitchin. Herts. the son of John William and Susan Moles (nee Brownsmith) and baptised on 11 January 1899 at St Agnes Church, Kennington, Southwark. (N.B. his baptismal name was given as John Henry and the address given was 45 Royal Terraces). He was one of five children.
Henry's father had been a baker but joined the Police Force and was posted to the Hertfordshire Constabulary at Hitchin. On the 1901 Census the family were living in Police Station Yard in Bancroft, Hitchin, where his father was a Police Constable. By the 1911 Census his father had been promoted to Sergeant and they had moved to 6 Trinity Road, Ware.
Some years later his father was promoted again to Superintendent and the family moved to Rye Road, Hoddesdon. His mother's address on pension records was 30 Lord Street, Hoddesdon, Herts.
Wartime Service
Henry was one of the first volunteers when war was declared and he went to Hertford in August 1914 to enlist with the Duke of Wellington's West Riding Regiment (Reg. No.11592) (N.B. his father was born in Guisborough, Yorkshire). However, he was only 16 years and three months old and must have lied about his age. Government policy was that you had to be 18 to sign up and 19 to fight overseas. He was accepted as fit for service and posted to the 8th Battalion, West Riding Regiment for basic training at Belton Park in Grantham, Lincs. In September 1915 he was sent to Gallipoli, arriving at Suvla Bay on 10 September (date given on medal index card).
The Battalion were in the Balkans for a relatively short time and left in December, sailing to Cairo, Egypt where they were engaged on defense duties on the Suez Canal. They sailed for France in July 1916.
The 8th Battalion was disbanded in France in February 1918 and Henry was transferred to the 2/5th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment at Ambrines, near Arras.
In March 1918, the Germans launched a series of attacks along the Western Front, sometimes known as the Spring Offensive, which began on 21 March at 4.40 am and hit targets over 150 square miles with over one million shells being fired in five hours. This resulted in over 17,000 allied casualties. By 25 March 2/5th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment had lost over 50% of its strength killed, wounded or missing.
Henry was wounded during this onslaught and died of his wounds on 23 March 1918. The Register of Soldiers' Effects notes that his death at Bullecourt was officially accepted. This is because he was buried by the Germans in Noreuil German Cemetery with other allied soldiers but the graves were lost following further battles in the area. His name is commemorated with eight other British soldiers on a special memorial in Queant Road Cemetery, Buissy, France.
Additional Information
His mother received a war gratuity of £21 10s and pay owing of £36 10s 2d. She also received a pension of 5 shillings a week.
His father had requested a special inscription which would have been engraved on his headstone had his grave been found, which read "HE DIED THAT WE MIGHT LIVE IN PEACE".
Henry's younger brother Leonard also fought in the war but survived.
N.B. It is believed that Henry did not live in Hemel Hempstead but would have visited his parents who were living there at Police House at the time the Roll of Honour was agreed in 1921.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Malcolm Lennox, www.hemelheroes.com., www.dacorumheritage.co.uk.
