Name
Henry George Gatward
1881
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
3/8089
Bedfordshire Regiment
4th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
Headstone Inscription
Not Applicable
UK & Other Memorials
Pre War
The 1891 census shows the family living an The Bank in Therfield and reveals four children an older sister, Kate (13), Henry himself (10), Lizzie (7) and Lucy (5).
At 18 Henry joined up, enlisting on February 23rd 1899 as 3980 in the 4th battalion Bedfordshire Regiment giving his address as Hoops Lane, Therfield.
His pension records have survived and the 5 sheets confirm his age as 18 years old and that he was 5 feet 5 ½ inches tall, weighed 102 lbs. and had blue eyes and ginger hair.
It would seem that he was not one of best behaved soldiers as, whilst in training, his has a charge sheet which includes charges of being a nuisance in his tent, disobeying orders and left his guard duty without permission giving him many days confined to camp as a punishment – he could have been shot for the latter in a time of war.
He was in training until 8th February 1900 and was then sent to South Africa (Boer War) on 27th February 1900. He was there for 2 years and 104 days thus being awarded the South Africa medal. He left the army on the 11th June 1902.
In 1911 Henry was recorded has marring Eveline approximately one year before. They were living at The Causeway in Therfield with one child, a daughter, also called Eveline (9 months). Henry was working as a labourer for Hertfordshire County Council.
Wartime Service
He re-enlisted on the 14th September 1914 and as an ‘old soldier’, his overseas service started on the 23rd November 1914. By 30th June 1915 he was too ill to continue and was invalided out of the Army though sickness and was issued a Silver War Badge to show that he had done his duty.
Acknowledgments
Jean Handley
