Name
Henry Alfred Fish
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
24/09/1917
21
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
G/15664
Royal Sussex Regiment
13th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
TYNE COT MEMORIAL
Panel 86 to 88.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Sawbridgeworth Town Memorial, Great St Mary’s Church Memorial, Sawbridgeworth,
Pre War
Henry was born on the 13th September 1896, in Sawbridgeworth, Herts. and the son of Josiah and Susannah Fish (Nee Morris). He was baptised on the 4th October 1896, in Sawbridgeworth.
In 1901 Henry was 4 and living with his parents, 5 brothers and 2 sisters in Bull Road, Sawbridgeworth, Herts. His mother died in July 1908 and by 1911 Henry was living with his widowed father, 4 brothers and sister Maud, at 36 Cambridge Road, Sawbridgeworth. His occupation recorded as a domestic house boy.
Wartime Service
Henry enlisted in Hertford, initially into the 1st Bn, Hertfordshire Regiment, with the Service No 3238, he was then posted to the 13th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment as a signaller with the Service No G/15664. This was a ‘Service’ Battalion arriving at Le Havre in France on 6 March 1916.
After numerous postings to ‘quiet’ sectors, the Battalion went into action 20-25 September 1917 in the Battle of the Menin Road Ridge, part of the Passchendaele offensive. The conditions were atrocious with many casualties, one of whom was Henry Fish. He died on 24 September 1917 and has no known grave. He was aged 21.
Henry Fish is also named on the Tyne Cot Memorial.
His younger brother of Frank Ernest Fish was killed on 31st July 1917 and Henry himself was killed less than 2 months later and close to where his brother had fallen. Henry was 21 when he was killed and like many other soldiers who fell in Ypres has no know grave,
He is commemorated on the Tyne Cot memorial near Ypres.
Additional Information
After his death the CWGC records confirm his parents and their address “Son of Josiah and Mary Fish (Step Mother) of, 11 Springhall Rd, Sawbridgeworth, Herts”. Some records give his service number as G/15564. His elder brother Frank also died.
Acknowledgments
Jonty Wild, Stuart Osborne, Douglas Coe
