Name
Henry Shead
1 August 1885
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
10/09/1914
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
7894
Bedfordshire Regiment
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star, British War and Victory Medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
LA FERTE-SOUS-JOUARRE MEMORIAL
Panel 10 and 11.
France
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
Sawbridgeworth Town Memorial, Great St Mary’s Church Memorial, Sawbridgeworth, Not on the Bishop's Stortford memorials
Pre War
Henry Shead was born in Bishop's Stortford on 1 August 1885 to William and Mary Shead and baptised at St Michael's Bishop's Stortford on 4 November 1885. He was registered as Harry Shead. (N.B. baptismal record shows the surname as Shedd).
On the 1891 Census the family were living at Bells Hill, Bishop's Stortford. Unfortunately it appears his mother died later that year. By 1911 he was a boarder with the Wisbey family at Baker's Dairy, High Wych, Sawbridgeworth, Herts and working as a cowman on a farm.
He enlisted in Hockerill before 1914., Herts. Prior to the Great War, Henry’s Battalion was based at Mullingar in Ireland. His service number shows that Henry was a professional soldier, as does hos date of death. He served in the 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment.
Wartime Service
Henry entered France with his regiment on board the SS Oronsa on 16 August 1914.
Henry was killed during the Battle of the Marne when the British advanced toward the Marne river and came under heavy fire from German units. The British withdrew, bombarded German positions, and by mid-afternoon had entered the town in force. Both local bridges were blown, but the Royal Engineers constructed a floating bridge, over which troops crossed the Marne on 10 September and the German armies retreated.
On the 10 September 1914, the date given for Henry’s death, the Battalion diary does not note any casualties, but in confused skirmishing on the day before, the Battalion lost 10 killed. It is probable therefore, that Henry was killed on the 9 September, and his death recorded later. Henry has no known grave and is commemorated on the La Ferte-sous-Jouarre Memorial, France. He was aged 28.
Additional Information
The Register of Soldiers' Effects states that he died on the way to Base Hospital. He left a will in favour of his sister, Mrs Florence Burrell, who received a war gratuity of £5 and pay owing of £4 9s 10d.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild, Douglas Coe
