Name
Henry Leslie Paxton Balderson
1892
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
23/07/1916
24
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Second Lieutenant
Devonshire Regiment
attd. Gloucestershire Regt.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
POZIERES BRITISH CEMETERY, OVILLERS-LA BOISSELLE
IV. G. 43.
France
Headstone Inscription
HIS LIFE FOR HIS COUNTRY HIS SOUL TO GOD
UK & Other Memorials
Hemel Hempstead Town Memorial, St John the Evangelist Church Memorial, Boxmoor, St John the Evangelist Church Window, Boxmoor, Family grave Heath Lane Cemetery, Hemel Hempstead, Lancing College War Memorial, Sussex
Pre War
Henry Leslie Paxton Balderson was born on 7 June 1892 at 'South Lea', Charles Street, Boxmoor, Hemel Hempstead, Herts, the only son of Robert Henry Balderson and Edith Balderson (nee Paxton). He had two older sisters, Mildred and Hilda.
On the 1901 Census, the family were living at 8 Charles Street, Boxmoor, Hemel Hempstead, where his father gave his occupation as a wine and spirit merchant. His grandfather had built a successful business trading in coal, coke, stone, corn, timber and wine & spirits. He also owned a tannery at Corner Hall. His father had joined the firm shortly before Henry was born.
He was initially educated at New College, Cliftonville, Margate, Kent and later at Lancing College, Sussex where he was in Seconds House from May 1907 to July 1910 and also enrolled in the Officer Training Corps. On leaving school he trained as an accountant and worked for Harper Brothers, Chartered Accountants, at 10 Trinity Square, Tower Hill, London. He joined the Artists' Rifles (a volunteer Territorial Force) on 1 April 1911, enlisting as Private 974 in the 28th (County of London) Battalion (Artists Rifles) and won the Silver Cup for Best Recruit of the year. He was promoted to Lance Corporal on 14 July 1914.
On the 1911 Census the family were still living at 'South Lea', Hemel Hempstead, Herts, and George's occupation was given as a student in Chartered Accountancy.
His father died on 27 October 1918 and is buried in Heath Lane Cemetery, Hemel Hempstead.
Wartime Service
At the outbreak of war, being in a Territorial Force, he was mobilised on 5 August 1914 and obtained a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant with the 8th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment on 15 September 1914. He left for France from Southampton on 25 July 1915 and arrived at Le Havre the following morning.
He was severely wounded at the Battle of Loos on 25 September during an attack on the German position of Breslau Trench, near Hulluch, France. Although the objective of capturing the trench was achieved within 12 minutes, the Devonshire Regiment losses were heavy as they were cut down by rifle and machine gun fire. Henry was severely wounded by a gunshot in the abdomen and taken to No. 4 General Hospital at Versailles the following day. He was invalided home and taken to hospital in Torquay where he stayed until 19 November 1915. He was then granted home leave and returned to Hemel Hempstead to convalesce, On 15 February 1916 he was passed fit for light duties and joined the 11th (2nd Reserve) Battalion of his Regiment at Wareham, Dorset on 19 February.
He returned to France on 22 June 1916, having been attached to the 1/6 Btn, Gloucestershire Regiment. They moved to the village of Ovillers along the railway line ready for an attack on Pozieres the following morning. They were under occasional shell fire but at 12.30 am they began the attack, immediately coming under accurate and sustained machine gun fire and, with little or no artillery support, they were soon beaten back and the attack was a failure. C and D companies lost all their officers in the action and casualties were difficult to collect from the field due to gas shells which arrived shortly after the attack had petered out.
Henry was officially reported missing and subsequently declared as killed in action on 23 July 1916 west of Ovillers. His body was recovered on 20 August and he is buried in Pozieres British Cemetery (Grave 2, C.8.9.), Ovillers la Boisselle, France.
His entry in De Ruvigny states: "After the attack in which he met his death, no officers and only 17 men answered the Roll Call. Lieut. Scull wrote: "From all accounts he led his men nobly." Coy. Quartermaster-Sergt. Johnson also wrote: "Your son was admired and loved by all his platoon; very few of them are now left, but they all join in expressing their deep sympathy. We have lost a gallant officer." His Platoon Sergt. also wrote: "I shall treasure the photograph, and the memories of your son's gallantry and coolness under fire and personal concern for his men."
Additional Information
His mother, Mrs E Balderson, South Lea, Hemel Hempstead, Herts,, ordered his headstone inscription: “HIS LIFE FOR HIS COUNTRY HIS SOUL TO GOD”. His mother received a war gratuity of £5 and pay owing of £78 3s 7d. Probate was granted to his mother on 19 February 1917 with effects of £192 9s 1d.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer, Derry Warners
Jonty Wild, www.hambo.org/lancing, www.dacorumheritage.org.uk, www.hemelatwar.org., www.hemelheroes.com
