Henry Ernest Mewse

A Private with the 9th Battalion, Henry died on 16th of September 1916 at the age of 32. 

Henry was born at Lowestoft on 26 April 1883, a son of William James and Mary Ann Mewse. He was baptised at Christchurch, Lowestoft, on 9 January 1884 and his family lived at Christchurch Square, Lowestoft. By 1901 Henry's father had died and his mother remarried. The 1901 Census shows his family still living at Christchurch Square and Henry working as a cooper. By 1911 Henry was working as a fisherman.  

Henry volunteered to join the Army and enlisted at Lowestoft. He joined the Suffolk Regiment and arrived in France on 31 August 1915 with the 9th Battalion.

On 13 September 1916 the 9th Battalion were in trenches near Guinchy on the Somme. At 6.20 a.m. they attacked the German lines and were able to capture two lines of German trenches, however, the enemy artillery and machine-gun fire inflicted heavy casualties. The situation could not be cleared up and so, at 7.30 a.m. A Company made an attack on the German strongpoint known as The Quadrilateral, but they failed to reach their objective due to enemy machine-gun fire. By the end of the day two officers and 15 men had been killed and 10 officers and 185 men wounded. 

On 15 September the Battalion made an attack on the enemy trenches with a final objective between Lesbouchs and Morval. The Battalion were to advance at 7.50 a.m. There was heavy enemy artillery and machine-gun fire and half of C Company could not even leave the trench. The rest of the Battalion were held up by heavy machine-gun fire from The Quadrilateral. There were many casualties, including Lieutenant-Colonel Mack. During the day the Battalion lost four officers and 35 men killed, seven officers and 99 men wounded, and two officers and 93 men missing. 

The Army Register of Soldiers' Effects shows that Frederick was killed in action between 13 and 16 September 1916. But the 9th Battalion war diary states that there were no casualties on 16 September.  

Henry was a brother of William James Mewse of 33 Thurston Road, Lowestoft, and a nephew of George Sharman Mewse of 144 Saint Peter's Street, Lowestoft.