Name
Henry William Batchelor
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
31/10/1914
28
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
5098
3rd (Prince of Wales's Own) Dragoon Guards
Attd Life Guards
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star, British War and Victory Medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL
Panel 3.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Watford Borough Roll of Honour, Watford, Bushey Memorial, St James' Church Memorial, Watford Fields, Baptist Church Memorial, Bushey
Pre War
Son of Eliza (Elizabeth, formerly BATCHELOR, nee NEWLAND) WOODSTOCK of Watford and the late Joseph BATCHELOR; husband of Alice Maud (nee SWEETING) BATCHELOR of Watford.
His parents married 17 August 1884 at Christ Church, Brondesbury, London and they had five children. Joseph was employed as a coal porter and died 1900 in Watford aged 38, and was buried 5 July in Vicarage Road Cemetery, Watford. Elizabeth and her five children settled at 10 Oxhey Street, now part of Oxhey Avenue, and Henry, who had just left school, worked as a railway invoice sorter to help provide for the family.
Eliza remarried 1905 in the Watford district to William Henry WOODSTOCK who already had a family, and moved to 42 Tucker Street, just off Watford Lower High Street. She died 6 September 1940 in Watford aged 80 and was buried 10 September in Vicarage Road Cemetery; William died 16 June 1943 in Watford aged 75, and was buried 19 June, also in Vicarage Road Cemetery.
Henry was born 1885 in Chelsea, London [not Kilburn, London], and married 7 August 1911 at St Mary’s, Watford he and his wife, Alice, moved into 46 Tucker Street, Watford and they had one child. Alice never remarried; she died 1931 in Watford aged 46, and was buried 21 April in Vicarage Road Cemetery.
On the 1891 Census, a scholar aged 5 he lived in Chelsea, with his parents and one sibling. On the 1901 Census, a railway invoice sorter aged 15, he lived in Oxhey, Herts, with his widowed mother and three siblings. On the 1911 Census, a milkman aged 25, he lived in Watford, with his mother, step-father and six siblings.
Wartime Service
When war was declared, Henry enlisted in London as Private 5098 together with his brother, Joseph, with the 3rd battalion of the Dragoon Guards. They served together in Belgium Henry’s overseas qualifying date being 5 October 1914 – his brother’s was the following day. Both killed in action on the same day, 31 October 1914.
Records show that they are one of 322 sets of brothers who served in the British Army (including the Commonwealth forces) and who are currently known to have died on the same day.
They are remembered with honour at the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing at Ypres. They are commemorated on the plaque in Bushey Baptist Church.
Henry was entitled to the Victory, British War and 1914 Star medals.
Additional Information
Unfortunately, Henry’s Service Record appears to be one that did not survive the World War Two bombing. Recorded as serving in the Life Guards only in the Borough Roll of Honour. His brother Joseph died 31 October 1914 and also features on Watford Borough Roll of Honour.
Information provided with the kind permission of Bushey First World War Commemoration Project - Please visit www.busheyworldwarone.co.uk.
Acknowledgments
Sue Carter (Research) and Watford Museum (ROH on line via www.ourwatfordhistory.org.uk)
