Name
Hugh Leonard Brice
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
21/04/1915
31
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
417275
Bedfordshire Regiment
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star, British War and Victory Medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL
Panel 31 and 33.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Buntingford Town Memorial, Not on the Much Hadham memorials, Not on the Little Hadham memorials
Pre War
Born in 1884 and recorded as born and baptised on 1 Nov 1884 in Little Hadham son of Samuel and Charity Brice and was living in Hare Street Road, Buntingford in 1911. He was a bricklayer’s labourer. He was a resident of Much Hadham at time of enlisting in November 1914. His parents later moved to Buntingford.
The 1891 census shows the family living in Meesden Green Cottage and his father is listed as a police constable. In 1901 they were shown as all living in Hare Street Lane. By the 1911 the address was shown as Hare Street Road, his father was a police pensioner and Hugh was working as a bricklayer's labourer.
He was living in Much Hadham when he enlisted.
Wartime Service
Enlisted at Hertford, entered France on 11 Nov 1914 and died of wounds during the battle for Hill 60.
War Diary Extract 21/4/15 at Hill 60:
Relentless bombardment and counter attacks, very heavy casualties. Over 400. Battle information: Hill 60 was a 150ft high 250-yard-long man-made hill and a good strategic position to hold. The British tunnelled towards it and placed mines totalling over 5000 lbs which they detonated at 07.05am on April 17th. They then attacked and took the hill, however had lost it again by the evening. The following day it was re-taken and by evening the Bedfordshire's moved to the front line to relieve those who had taken part in the attack.
However, as the war diary extract above shows, the Germans continued to counter attack.
Additional Information
Service number is 4/7274 in SDITGW records. His effects, which was his pay, was shared between his brothers and sisters.
Acknowledgments
Kate Thompson
Malcolm Lennox, “Lest We Forget – Much Hadham 1914-18” by Richard Maddams (Much Hadham Forge Museum), Carol Emery
