We are fortunate to have a number of reports of Henry’s war. On 4 June 1915 the Shipley Times & Express reported: Gunner Henry Kendall, who is with the Royal Field Artillery (Territorials) and who, prior to the war, was connected with the Congregational Sunday School, has written a very interesting letter to Mr J W Hutchinson. He says: “We have already been in several bombardments and I know it to be a fact that the Bradford lads have done some good work. “The tide has now turned and I am confident we shall be victorious in the end in spite of the German attacks with those awful gases. “Aeroplanes here seem more common than birds and play a greater part in the war than a civilian could imagine. It is simply marvellous the amount of work they are able to do. “Though I am in the fighting line my thoughts very often centred on our Sunday School during Whit Sunday and Monday. Lusitania “We have got to know about the sinking of the Lusitania and think it is the limit. If we are blest with luck we shall give the Germans both thick and thin for this lot.” Two weeks later, Fred Boldy, another Eccleshill man at the front, wrote home “I went down to the gun pits the other day and saw Henry Kendall. He is keeping pretty well and so is Fred Cordingley. I have also seen Private E Ramsbottom and several others from the Eccleshill district.” A week later, on 25 June 1915, there is another report based on a letter from Henry:

At the close of the school on Sunday afternoon, Mr A E Hutton, superintendent of the Congregational School, made reference to a letter which the Rev W Manning had received from Gunner Henry Kendall, who is in the Royal Field Artillery. The letter contains the following: “The battery with which I am now serving has been in the firing line several times and so far our casualties have been very few. “Fred Cordingley is with us and is doing good service. We were chums before we came out here but now I only see him about once a week and then we chat briefly about news from home. “I see so little of him because he is one of the drivers and takes our guns to new positions and then retires while we have to remain with the guns in the gun pits. “We are both keeping very well and the health of the men generally leaves little to be desired. The weather recently has been splendid and when the guns are silent we are able to enjoy the beautiful country scenes. “I am given to understand that our firing has been very effective and we have been congratulated on the results but this is nothing unusual for all the lads are doing their

utmost for the dear homeland. “The one thing that has surprised me out here is the number of aeroplanes we see in a single day. They are doing some difficult work and suppose we shall get to know more about their brave deeds when the war is over. “Things seem to be going more in our favour now and we have got to know that Italy has joined us as an ally. Her assistance should shorten the campaign considerably.” That is the last we hear of Henry until 31 August 1917 when the paper included a paragraph that read: Gunner Henry Kendall has been home on leave after over two years’ service at the front and is still fit and well. He addressed the young men’s class on Sunday afternoon at the Congregational School and gave an interesting address to the school. He also officiated at the organ in the chapel at both afternoon and evening services. But when Henry returned to action his luck ran out. On 9 November the local paper reported: Gunner Henry Kendall, who has been three years in France with the Royal Field Artillery has been wounded in the right arm and side

and is now at St John’s and Elizabeth’s Hospital, London. He is well known and greatly respected in the district and was the deputy organist at the Eccleshill Congregational Church and a zealous worker in the Sunday School. A week later we read: The many friends of Gunner Henry Kendall of 32 Mount Terrace, will be pleased to hear that though he has been severely wounded in four places, no vital spot has been touched and he is progressing favourably in a London hospital. He was in the Passchendaele Ridge battle and after serving his gun for five hours, his gun was blown up and he then received his injuries. Prizes On 22 February 1918, Henry was reported to be home on leave after recovering from his wounds. He again attended the Congregational Sunday School where he played the harmonium and was asked to present the prizes. The war over, Henry’s story has a happy conclusion with a report from 9 January 1920: A wedding of local interest occurred on Christmas Day at St Paul’s Church, Coventry, where Mr Henry Kendall of 32 Mount Terrace, Eccleshill, eldest son of Mr and Mrs John Kendall, was married to Miss Lily Chadwick, youngest daughter of Mr W Chadwick of Bridlington, formerly of Shipley. The bridegroom fought with the Royal Field Artillery in France for over four years and was wounded in the fight for Paschendaele Ridge.He is a worker at the Congregational School and one of the deputy organists.