Name
Horace Leonard Bavington (DCM)
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
21/02/1918
22
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Corporal
265306
Hertfordshire Regiment
No. 4 Coy. 1st Bn.
No. 4 Company
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Distinguished Conduct Medal
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
HITCHIN CEMETERY
North East Extension Grave 573
United Kingdom
Headstone Inscription
Asleep
UK & Other Memorials
Hitchin Town Memorial, 4 Co' Hertfordshire Reg' Territorials’ Memorial, Hitchin, Holy Saviour Church War Memorial, Radcliffe Rd., Hitchin, Town Hall Memorial, Hitchin, St Mary's Church Roll of Honour, Hitchin, Hitchin British Boys' School Memorial, Hitchin, St Faith's Church War Memorial, Walsworth, Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford
Pre War
He was born 17 February 1896 and baptised on 1 August that year, when his parents were living at 14 Anderson Cottages, Hitchin. He was the second son of William and Harriet Joyner Bavington (née Faulkener) who had married on 14 June 1886.
The 1901 census records the family living at 8 Queens Street – next to the King’s Head PH. William was 37 and working as a brick layer with the Great Northern Railway. Harriet was 36. Their children were listed as: William (junior) (14), Horace (5), Harold (3) and baby Elsie just one month old.
Horace attended Hitchin Boys British School, being admitted 1 May 1904 and leaving 19 February 1910 to work as an errand boy, at that time his father lived in Queens Street, Hitchin.
In the 1911 census the family were living in 72 Queen Street, Hitchin. William (senior) now a wood sawyer. All the children list above were present, plus another daughter Lilian (8). Horace, at 15, and working as a butcher’s errand boy. The census records that his parent had been married for 24 years and had 7 children of whom 2 had died.
He enlisted in Territorial Force as Private 2145, aged 17 on 10 March 1913. He was 5’ 5 1/2”, working for the Great Northern Railway and was living at 96 Nightingale Road, Hitchin.
Wartime Service
His Regimental Number was later changed to 265306 and he was in No. 4 Company of the Hertfordshire Regiment and mobilised in August 1914 but did not go to France until 21 January 1915.
On 4 February 195 he was admitted to No. 4 Field Ambulance (FA) with inflamed tonsils and discharged on the 9th. While ‘in the field’ he was removed to No. 5 FA with Pyrexia (fever), moved to No. 6 Casualty Clearing Station, before re-joining his Battalion in the field on the 9th. He was attached to a Trench Mortar Company on 15 September 1915. Appointed acting Corporal 30 May 1916 and Corporal on 11 September of that year.
He had 2 X-rays in January 1917 (10 and 11), but the reason is not clear, but he was sent to Boulogne on the 13th and was there until the 6 February when he moved to Calais, returning to his unit in the field on 18 February. There is note stating that he was awarded Distinguished Conduct Medal (D.C.M.) on 26 January 1917.
The Distinguished Conduct Medal was awarded to him for "Conspicuous gallantry in action. He led a bombing party with great gallantry and rendered valuable assistance in the consolidation of the position. He has at all times set a splendid example." This incident occurred on the Somme but the award itself was not made until after Christmas 1917. His mother was presented with his D.C.M. during an award ceremony in Bedford.
He was wounded on duty 7 May 1917, a later newspaper reported that his fingers were injured in France, so presumably this was the nature of his wounds. The report mentions related convalescence, but his service record records leave to England between 26 June and 7 July 1917.
On the 10th July 1917, just 3 days after his return, he was seriously wounded in the head resulting in the loss of his left eye. The Hertfordshire had relieved 1st Cambs Regt. in Front Line system, HILL TOP sector on the 7th. His service record recorded that he was injured near Ypres (Belgium) and his injury as: “While in the trenches was struck on the leftside of the forehead by piece of shrapnel: was treated in France and transferred 2 Croydon Base hospital on 24.7.17”. To create some confusion below this entry is G.S.W. (gun shot wound). He was also recorded as deaf in his left ear.
He was returned to England on 23 July 1917 and was discharged from the forces on 9 October 1917, aged 21, receiving the Silver War Badge 135527 to acknowledge his service
His health did not improve and shortly before his death he had an operation on his wounds at Hertford Hospital.
He is buried in Hitchin Cemetery in Grave NE 573. His Commonwealth War Graves Commission stone has the additional inscription "Asleep". He was buried with full military honours. The coffin carried on an Army gun carriage, drawn by 6 horses and draped in a Union Flag and firing party gave 3 volleys over his grave. The coffin bore the inscription: “Corporal H. L. Bavington, D.C.M., 1st. Herts. Regiment; died of wounds received in action. February 21, 1918; aged 22 years".
Additional Information
His mother received 2 pensions for Horace’s service: one of 4s 6d a week from 1 April 1918 and another of 5s from 6 November 1918. She was recorded as living at 5 Anchor Cottages, Walsworth, near Hitchin.
His father received a war gratuity of £15 10s 0d authorised on 18 November 1919.
A headstone inscription was ordered by Mrs Margaret Bavington of 16a Mattocks Road, Hitchin. It simply reads “Asleep”. At present her relationship is unclear.
His father died on 24th December 1919, aged 55 years, after being knock down by a motor lorry. He died of injuries and shock.
Acknowledgments
Adrian Dunne, Cilla Dyson David C Baines, Jonty Wild
