Lieut Henry Currey Wainwright

• Age: 33
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• D.O.W Saturday 5th February 1916
• Commemorated at: St Pierre Cem, Amiens
  Panel Ref: VI.B.1

Henry Currey Wainwright was born in Liverpool in 1882, the son of Henry Wainwright and his wife Eliza (nee Mawdsley). Henry senior was of Canadian birth, born in Quebec, Ontario, and a self-employed timber trader.

The 1891 Census finds Henry junior as an 8 year old scholar, living with his parents and four siblings at 163 Lodge Lane, Liverpool.  His father Henry is 44 year old timber merchant, whilst his mother is 40 years of age, she was the daughter of James Pratt Mawdsley, a printer and publisher living in Falkner Square, Liverpool. Henry's siblings are shown as; Richard aged 16 and a scholar, Elizabeth Eveline a 13 year old scholar, Hilda aged 11 and a scholar and May Mawdsley aged 5. They have four servants listed at the property.  

In 1901, the family still live at 163 Lodge Lane and Henry senior is now described as a 54 year old marble and cement merchant. His wife Eliza is now 50 years of age. Richard, Henry’s eldest son, is a 26 year old stockbroker’s clerk, while Henry junior is 18 years of age and an apprentice ship’s broker. Elizabeth is now 23, Hilda 21, and Mary is 15. There is a sixth child now living with them - Ellen, who is now 25 years of age, and who in 1891 was a boarder at a school for young ladies run by a Mary Neary and her sister at 23 Westcliffe Road, Birkdale. They still employ 3 servants.

By 1911, the family has moved to ‘East Brae’, 5 Sefton Park Road, Liverpool, a house with 17 rooms and 3 servants. Henry senior is now a 64 year old ‘cement and lime merchant’,  his wife, Eliza, is now 60. They advise that they have been married for 37 years and have had six children all of whom have survived. Richard a self-employed stock and share broker, and Henry junior is a salesman in his father’s business. Ellen Mawdsley is now 35, Elizabeth is 33, Hilda 31 and Mary Mawdsley is 25. They were still living at ‘East Brae’ in 1920 according to the CWGC entry.

Henry Currey Wainwright (Currey was his maternal grandmother’s maiden surname) served as a Special Constable in the 1911 riots during a Railway workers strike. He joined the 17th Battalion of The Kings Liverpool Regiment as a Private but was subsequently commissioned.

The 17th Battalion was billeted at Prescot Watch Factory from 14^th September 1914, they trained there and also at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 17th Battalion alongside the other three Pals battalions left Liverpool via Prescot Station for further training at Belton Park, Grantham. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain. 

Henry went to France with the 17^th Battalion arriving on 07th November 1915, thereby earning his 3 medals.

Henry and his men were returning from a training course, and they were about 100 yards from Battalion Headquarters in the village of Mariecourt, when the Germans fired some three hundred shells at the village, mostly 77mm, and 4.2 inch and 5.9inch. Henry shouted a warning to his men to get in a ditch, but in the darkness, they went to the side of the road which contained barbed wire, and gave insufficient cover. The other side of the road contained a good trench, and would probably have afforded them safety.

One shell dropped right onto the road, and all the party were wounded. Wainwright insisted that the others be treated first by the medical officer, with the words. “ I’m alright!. Look after the men. “. His only complaint was that he could not see out of his right eye. In fact, the eye had been taken out, he had a serious wound in his side and an arm and leg were shattered. He was evacuated firstly to No. 98 (West Lancashire) Field Ambulance and then to No.5C Casualty Clearing Station, at Corbie, where he smoked a cigarette, and made light of the seriousness of his wounds. From there, he was transferred to the South Midland Casualty Clearing Station at Amiens, where the doctor who treated him, paid tribute to his courage and cheerfulness, and his concern for his wounded men. His own wounds were so severe, however, there was no hope of saving his life and he died the following day the 05th February 1916.

His death was recorded by the Battalion Chaplain the Reverend Basil Aston. Henry was the first Pals officer to be killed in action.

He now rests at Grave VI B 1 in St Pierre Cemetery, Amiens then known as the English Cemetery, where his headstone bears the epitaph:

"SON OF COL. HENRY AND ELIZA C. WAINWRIGHT OF LIVERPOOL. SPES MEA IN DEO"  which translates as "MY HOPE IS IN GOD".

During part of August 1914, Amiens was the British Advanced Base. It was captured by the Germans on 31 August, and retaken by the French on the following 13 September. The German offensive which began in March 1918 had Amiens for at least one of its objectives but the Battle of Amiens (8 - 11 August 1918) is the Allied name for the action by which the counter offensive, the Advance to Victory, was begun. The 7th General Hospital was at Amiens in August 1914; the 56th (South Midland) Casualty Clearing Station from April to July 1916; the New Zealand Stationary Hospital from July 1916 to May 1917; the 42nd Stationary Hospital from October 1917 to March 1919; and the 41st Stationary Hospital in March 1918, and again in December 1918 and January 1919. The Commonwealth plot in St. Pierre Cemetery was first used in September 1915 and closed in October 1919, but shortly afterwards 33 graves of 1918 were brought in from positions in or near the city. During the Second World War, Amiens was again a British base, and G.H.Q. reserve was accommodated in the area south-west of the town. There was heavy fighting in and around Amiens when the Germans broke through the Somme line and took the town on 18 May 1940. Much damage was done, but although all the houses to the west of the cathedral were completely destroyed by the bombardment, the cathedral itself and the church of St. Germain l'Ecossais survived. Amiens was retaken by the British Second Army on 31 August 1944. Nos. 25 and 121 General Hospitals were posted there in October 1944, remaining until April 1945. St. Pierre Cemetery contains 676 Commonwealth burials of the First World War and 82 from the Second World War. The Commonwealth plot was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.

The Liverpool Echo reported his death on 08/02/1916

News has been received that Lieutenant Henry C.Wainwright,of the 17th (Service) Battalion The King's (Liverpool Regiment),has died of wounds in France.Lieutenant Wainwright,who was thirty-three years of age,was the younger son of Colonel and Mrs.Henry Wainwright,of Eastbank, Sefton Park,Liverpool. After leaving Liverpool College,Lieutenant Wainwright entered the firm of Messrs.Ingram and Clarke,Commerce-court,Lord-street,and at the outbreak of war joined the "Pals" as a private,very soon afterwards gaining his commission. His elder brother is now serving as major in the 6th Rifles,of which battalion his father now retired was at one time colonel. (Lpool Echo 8/2/16)

In the 17th Battalion he was known for his striking personality, his leadership, and his popularity amongst officers and men alike.

Colonel B. Fairfax, his Commanding Officer, writing to his parents after his death stated

"I specially took him with the Battalion in November last on account of his cheerfulness, which is so important in war, and we miss him very much." 

Brigadier Stanley wrote in his book "The History of the 89th Brigade":

"I am sorry to say that poor Wainwright was killed about this period. It was a case of real bad luck. He was coming back with five men from a course. They were only about a hundred yards from his Battalion Headquarters, in Maricourt when the Bosches started shelling. He shouted to his men to get into the ditch. It was dark and they went to one side of the road where there was barbed wire. If they had gone to he other side there was a good trench. A shell came along and they were all hit".

A Memorial Service was held in his honour at Christ Church, Linnet Lane, Liverpool on 20th February 1916 and was reported:

THE LATE LIEUTENANT H.C.WAINWRIGHT

Memorial service for Lieutenant Henry C. Wainwright of the 17th Service Battalion King's Liverpool regiment (1st City "Pals") who was killed in action in Flanders on the 5th inst., was held at Christ Church, Linnet Lane, yesterday morning. The Reverend H.D. Little conducted, and the Rev. Cannon Irving, vicar, was the preacher. There was a good congregation present and the hymns "Now the labourer's task is o'er," "The Saints of God," and "On the resurrection morning" were sung by the choir and congregation, and at the conclusion of the service the "Dead March" in "Saul" was played by Mr C. K. James, organist, and the national anthem was finally sung. The Vicar, in the course of his sermon, referred to the number of members of the congregation who had given up their lives for King and country during the war. These included Captain Brocklehurst, Lieutenant Wilson, Captain Harvey, Major Hughes, Lieutenant Burrell, Captain Robertson, and now they had lost Lieutenant Wainwright, who had joined the noble army of martyrs leaving behind memories of an honourable character, faithful citizenship, a heroic devotion to duty, and of noble self-sacrifice, for even at the last his thoughts were for others and not himself. When they thought of all all those brave fellows who had laid down their lives for them they could not but realise that they were a goodly company and the flower of the English manhood, whose future would have been most bright.

On 25th June 1916, Lord Derby unveiled a brass tablet in his memory the church were he worshipped, Christ Church, Linnet Lane, Toxteth, Liverpool. It had brass and white metal representations of Lieutenants rank badges, the cap badges of the Pals and Regular Battalions of the King’s Liverpool Regiment and the Red Rose of Lancashire. It was also inscribed :

TO THE MEMORY OF HENRY CURREY WAINWRIGHT, LIEUTENANT, 17TH (SERVICE) BATTALION THE KING’S (LIVERPOOL REGIMENT) (1ST CITY) WHO DIED 5TH FEBRUARY 1916, FROM WOUNDS RECEIVED IN ACTION THE PREVIOUS DAY AT MARICOURT, FRANCE AND WAS BURIED IN THE ENGLISH CEMETERY AT AMIENS AGED 33 YEARS. THIS TABLET WAS ERECTED BY BROTHER OFFICERS.

His medal roll card shows that his medals were to be sent to his father, Colonel H. Wainwright, ‘East Brae’, Sefton Park Road.  

Henry is commemorated on the following Memorials:

Liverpool Cricket Club

Exchange Newsroom, Exchange Flags, Liverpool.

Liverpool College

Christ Church on Linnet Lane.

His father died in 1924 and his death was reorted in the local press.

VOLUNTEER OFFICER'S DEATH

Colonel H. Wainwright of East Bank, Sefton Park Road, Liverpool, whose funeral took place at Childwall, today, had been an outstanding figure in the Volunteer movement for nearly 50 years. Colonel Wainwright. who within a fortnight would have achieved his 87th year, commanded for many years, the 2nd V.B. King's (Liverpool) Regiment, which later became the 6th Battalion of the Territorials. He was a keen rifle shot and won many prizes, and before his retirement was presented with the Volunteer long service medal. His youngest son, who joined the "Pals" in the war, was killed in 1916, and his eldest son, who suffered from the effects of his service in France, died recently.

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