Name
Henry Herbert Parfit
1891
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
03/09/1916
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Rifleman
R/2993
King's Royal Rifle Corps
8th Battalion
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
Pier and Face 13 A and 13 B.
France
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the Baldock memorials
Pre War
Henry Herbert Parfit was born in Notting Hill, Middlesex in 1891, the son of Tom and Catherine Parfitt, and baptised on 12 April 1891 at St Michael and all Angels, Ladbroke Grove, Kensington. His father's occupation was recorded as warehouse porter and they were living at 4 Thorpe Mews.
His father died in 1899, aged 47, and on the 1901 Census the family were living at 326 Portobello Road, Kensington with his widowed mother as head of the household with eight children, ranging from 23 to 7 years. Boarder, Herbert Hubbard, aged 23 and a bus conductor, was also listed with them. (He was born in Baldock, Herts and married Lilian Parfit in 1907.)
Henry's mother was recorded on the 1911 Census as being in the Kensington Infirmary, Marloes Road, Kensington, and she died in December 1911, aged 59.
On his enlistment papers his siblings were listed as follows: brothers: Joseph (living in Fulham) Ernest, (living in Twickham), Thomas & George (both living 17 Thorpe Mews, Notting Hill), sisters: Lilian Hubbard (living in Baldock), Frances and Gertrude (living at Chequers Yard, Baldock), and Beatrice Edwards (living at Honor Oak Park).
Henry was living in Notting Hill, Middlesex at time of enlistment and worked as a waiter.
Wartime Service
Henry enlisted on 7 September 1914 in Winchester and joined the Kings Royal Rifle Corps, serving with the 8th Battalion in France from 23 July 1915.
He received a gun shot and shell wound to the back of the wrist on 14 February 1916 and a shell wound to the arms and back on 23 February 1916 and was invalided back to England on 1 March 1916. Having recovered from his wounds he embarked from England on 6 July 1916 to re-join the 8th Battalion and arrived at le Havre on 7 July 1916, re-joining them in the field on 17 July 1916.
He was reported missing in action with death presumed on or since 3 September 1916. Henry has no known grave and his name is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, France.
Additional Information
His sister Gertrude M King received a war gratuity of £9 and pay owing of £3 16s 3d. She was noted as his sister and sole legatee.
Another sister Miss Frances Elizabeth Parfitt was listed as a dependent on pension records and received a pension of 5 shillings a week, later increased to 10 shillings a week. Her address was given as 114 Wormington Road, North Kensington, London.
N.B. The surname Parfit is sometimes spelled as Parfitt.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild
