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Henry George Briggs

A Corporal with the 1/5th Battalion, Henry died on 4th of January 1918 at the age of 33. 

Henry was born at Wrentham, Suffolk, in 1884, a son of Henry William and Sarah Anne Briggs. In 1891 his family lived at London Road, Wrentham, and this was still their address in 1901 when Henry worked as a rural postman. 

On 21 December 1909 Henry married Louisa May Ellen Sterry at Saint Margaret’s Church, Lowestoft. Henry was a gardener living at South Park, Reigate, Surrey, and Louisa lived at 24 Reeve Street, Lowestoft. In 1911 they lived at 62 Priory Road, South Park, Reigate, and Henry was a domestic gardener. While Henry was in the Army Louisa returned to Lowestoft to live with her family at 24 Reeve Street. Later Louisa lived at 108 Saint Peter’s Street and by 1939 was living at Staines.

Henry volunteered and had enlisted in the Army by May 1915. He joined the Norfolk Regiment and was posted to the 1/5th Battalion, service number 4266. Soldiers Died in the Great War states that he enlisted at East Dereham, but that was a ‘catch all’ location used on many records of men of the 1/5th Battalion. Henry died not go overseas before 1916 and he was already a Corporal when he went to join the battalion. From early 1916 the 1/5th Battalion were in Egypt and thereafter they moved to Palestine. During 1917 he was renumbered 240901.

There is no information about the circumstances, but Henry was captured by the Turkish and held as a prisoner of war. The Register of Soldiers’ Effects states that he died at Bo-rear Negde (sic) ‘in Turkish hands’. No other details are known.  

Henry’s brother in law, Victor Sterry, served with the Suffolk Regiment, and died in 1917. 

Lived at

Henry Briggs
108
St Peters Street
Lowestoft
United Kingdom

52.4821536, 1.751503

CountryOfService
United Kingdom
BranchService
Army
Regiment
Norfolk Regiment
ServiceNumber
240901
Burial/Memorial
Iraq
BAGHDAD (NORTH GATE) WAR CEMETERY
XXI. U. 11.

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