Born: 1894, Idle
Died: 3 May 1917
Buried:
Address:
Parents: James & Sarah, nee Clayforth
Spouse:
Siblings: seven
Occupation: Drapery salesman
Organisations/clubs:
Military
Rank: L Cpl
Medals/awards:
Rolls of Honour: Eccleshill, Park & St Luke’s; Arras Memorial
Children:
Regiment: Duke of Wellington’s
Henry Briggs
Henry Briggs (aka Harry) was born
in 1894 in Idle the son of James
Briggs and Sarah, nee Clayforth
who had 1878.
James and Sarah had eight children,
Elizabeth, Anne, Joseph, Mary,
Walter, James, Harry and Stanley.
By 1901 the family were living at
64 Ley Fleaks Road and James was
a Fent dealer on his own account.
In 1911 the family had moved to 51
Norman Drive, Eccleshill, and
Henry’s mother Sarah was now a
widow, James having died in 1909
aged 62 years.
Harry was a salesman in drapery
and well-known in the Idle and
Eccleshill district as a baritone
vocalist, being a member of the
Idle Congregational Church and
also the Eccleshill Glee Union. His
sister Annie was a music teacher.
Harry enlisted on the 8th March
1916 as Private 306574 in the
Duke of Wellington Regiment
where he received machine gun
training.
At some point during his service he
was promoted to Lance Corporal
4079 and he served on the Western
Front.
His Regiment landed in France in
January 1917 and was involved in
the spring offensive of 1917 known
as the Battle of Arras, a principle
offensive undertaken by the British
at the Scarpe Valley near Arras.
Two failed attacks had already
taken place, the first on the 9-14th
of April, the second on the 23-24th
April and the third took place on
the 3rd of May.
However the British army was
unable to make any significant
advances and the attack was called
off the following day after
incurring heavy casualties.
Harry was one of four casualties
who died this day whose names are
recorded on the War Memorial in St
Luke’s Church, Eccleshill.
On the 15th of May 1917 a letter
was sent to his mother Sarah from
the Territorial Force Record Office
informing her that Henry had been
killed in action on the 3rd of May
and that information of his burial
would be communicated to her at a
later date.
Harry is either buried or
remembered at the Arras Memorial
in the Western part of the town of
Arras where the names of 35,492
men who fell in the Battles of Arras
from the spring of 1916 until the
7th of August 1918 are recorded
and who have no known grave.
Harry left his effects to his mother
who received £3. 17. 3d on the 20th
August 1917 and the War Gratuity
of £4. 0. 0d on the 31st October
1919.
Researched and written by Jean
Britteon, to whom many thanks.
