Name
John Henry Dennis
1879
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
01/09/1917
37
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
424187
London Regiment *1
2/10th (County of London) Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
TRACK X CEMETERY
Grave 48 Section D
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Hitchin Town Memorial, 4 Co' Hertfordshire Reg' Territorials’ Memorial, Hitchin, St Mary's Church Roll of Honour, Hitchin
Pre War
John was born in 1879 in Stanford Le Hope, Essex and his parents were Abel and Miriam Dennis.
In 1881 the family were living at Southend Road, Stanford Le Hope, Essex. Present were both parents: Abel (37) and Miriam (28), with x and working as a miller. Their children were: Miriam (5) and John Henry Dennis (1).
In 1891 the family were now living at Carrs Yard, Waltham Abbey, Waltham Holy Cross, Essex. Present were both parents, with Abel recorded as a miller in the flour mill. Their children were: The children listed above were present plus Carolina A (2) and Ruth Bessy at two months.
By 1901 the family had moved again were living at 3 Highbridge Street, Waltham Abbey, Waltham Holy Cross, Essex. Present were both parents, with Abel still working as a miller in the flour mill. All four children listed above were present, with John, now 21, working as a labourer in a gunpowder factory.
By 1911 the John had moved out of the family home and had followed his father and was working as a miller. He was now lodging in Charnham St, Hungerford, Berks at the home of the Taylor family.
Before enlistment he was working for Messrs. Ranks Ltd. Flour millers, Victoria Docks, London and had been with them for about five years.
Officially John was recorded as born in Stamford Hill (but actually Stanford Le Hope, Essex - confirmed by all censuses), living in Silvertown, when he enlisted Stratford.
Wartime Service
John was given Regimental Number 424187 and posted to the 2/10th (County of London) Battalion (Hackney) of the London Regiment. He had only been in France for a few weeks when he was killed in action.
A letter from Lieut. Gray stated that Private Dennis and several other men in the platoon were killed by a German shell whilst returning from the trenches to rest billets.
He was buried in Row D, Grave 48 at the Track ‘X’ Cemetery in Belgium north east of Ypres.
Additional Information
After his death £2 8s 0d was authorised to go to his father, Abel, on 18 December 1917. Later, a war gratuity of £3 was authorised to be paid to him, on 17 November 1919.
His pension cards record Miriam, his mother, as his dependant, living at 6 Kent Place, Union Road, Hitchin. No pension details appear on the card.
It may be that his parents had moved to Hitchin and added John’s name to the local memorials, and that John had no direct connection to Hitchin.
*1 Believed more correctly, (County of London) Bn. London Regiment (Hackney).
Acknowledgments
Adrian Dunne, David C Baines, Jonty Wild
