Pte 34614 Henry Hodgson Woodward

• Age: 30
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 30th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Flatiron Copse Cem Mametz
  Panel Ref: I.H.25

Henry Hodgson Woodward was born 24th March 1886 at Liverpool and was baptised 23rd May 1886 at St Saviour's Church of England Church, Liverpool. He was the son of William Woodward and his wife Sarah Ann (née Leary). His parents married in 1882 and had three sons. Henry had an elder brother Lawrence Banner born in 1884 (known as Banner), and a younger brother George Calvin born in 1888.

The 1891 Census finds the family living at Hunt Street, Everton, Liverpool. Henry is 5 years of age and lives with his parents and two siblings. His father is a 41 year old cab owner born in Liverpool, whilst his mother is 44 years of age and was also born in Liverpool as were their children. Lawrence B. is 6 years old and George C. is 2 years old.

The 1901 Census shows the family are living at 6 Valley Road, Anfield, Liverpool. Henry is a 15 year old solicitor's clerk living with his parents and two brothers. His father is a 51 year old car proprietor, whilst his mother is 54 years of age. His brothers, are listed as Lawrence B. a 16 year old pilot apprentice and George C. aged 12.  

Henry was educated at St Margaret's Church of England School, Liverpool.

The 1911 Census shows the family are still living at 6 Valley Road, Anfield, Liverpool. His father, William, is aged 62, his occupation is shown as a car owner, whilst his mother Sarah Ann is aged 64. They have been married for twenty eight years and have had three children. Two of their children are still in the household; Henry aged 25, born 1886 occupation clerk (cotton thread) and George Calvin aged 22, born 1889 is a mate on a tug boat.  

Henry was a witness at George’s marriage in 1913 (his father’s occupation given as funeral director).

Henry enlisted in Liverpool and served in the 4th Battalion of the King's Liverpool Regiment before transferring to the 17^th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 34614. Based on the amount of the War Gratuity, Henry had served no more than one year when he was killed.  Based on his regimental number, he likely enlisted in December 1915, arrived in France with the 4th Battalion K.L.R. in about May 1916, and was subsequently posted to the 17th Bn. in June 1916.

He was killed in action on the 30^th July 1916, aged 30, at the village of Guillemont, France, during the Somme Offensive. 

17th Battalion Diary 30th July 1916

The Battalion was in support to 19 & 20 Battalions K.L.R. 2 Coys. behind 19th & 2 Coys. behind 20th. Very thick mist. The attack was pushed home to the objective in places but in the main was held up by machine gun fire from hidden machine guns.

Fighting continued all day swaying backwards and forwards until by 6pm about 300 yards in depth had been gained & consolidated all along our front.

Casualties in the 17th Battalion were 15 Officers and 281 Other Ranks

Further details are reported in more detailed by Everard Wyrall in his book The History of the King’s Regiment (Liverpool) 1914-1919 Volume II 1916-1917

The 17th King’s had advanced (two companies each behind the 19th and 20th Battalions) in small columns. They too suffered heavily from machine-gun fire and were quickly absorbed into the waves that preceded them. They also shared the gains and losses of that terrible day.

When darkness fell on the battlefield the 30th Division held a line from the railway on the eastern side of Trones Wood , southwards and including Arrow Head Copse, to east of Maltz Horn Farm. On this line the division was relieved by the 55th Division during the early hours of the 31st July. 

The events of 30th July 1916 were regarded at the time as Liverpool’s blackest day. There follows an extract from The History of the 89th Brigade written by Brigadier General Ferdinand Stanley which gives an indication of the events of the day.

Guillemont

Well the hour to advance came, and of all bad luck in the world it was a thick fog; so thick that you couldn’t see more than about ten yards. It was next to impossible to delay the attack – it was much too big an operation- so forward they had to go. It will give some idea when I say that on one flank we had to go 1,750 yards over big rolling country. Everyone knows what it is like to cross enclosed country which you know really well in a fog and how easy it is to lose your way. Therefore, imagine these rolling hills, with no landmarks and absolutely unknown to anyone. Is it surprising that people lost their way and lost touch with those next to them? As a matter of fact, it was wonderful the way in which many men found their way right to the place we wanted to get to. But as a connected attack it was impossible.

The fog was intense it was practically impossible to keep direction and parties got split up. Owing to the heavy shelling all the Bosches had left their main trenches and were lying out in the open with snipers and machine guns in shell holes, so of course our fellows were the most easy prey.

It is so awfully sad now going about and finding so many splendid fellows gone.    

His parents placed a notice announcing his death in the Liverpool Post & Mercury on 11th September 1916:

“July 30, killed in action, aged 30 years, Henry Hodgson, second son of William and S. A. Woodward, 6, Valley Road, Anfield. (Deeply mourned.)”

His name appeared in the list of K.L.R. Killed on 21st September 1916.

Henry now rests at Flatiron Copse Cemetery, Mametz. 

Flatiron Copse was the name given by the army to a small plantation a little to the east of Mametz Wood. The ground was taken by the 3rd and 7th Divisions on 14 July 1916 and an advanced dressing station was established at the copse. The cemetery was begun later that month and it remained in use until April 1917. Two further burials were made in August 1918 and after the Armistice, more than 1,100 graves were brought in from the neighbouring battlefields and from smaller cemeteries. Almost all the concentrated graves are those of men who died in the summer and autumn of 1916. There are now 1,572 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated in this cemetery. 420 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 36 casualties known or believed to be buried among them, and nine buried in Mametz Wood Cemetery whose graves were destroyed by shell fire. The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker.

His Army pay and a War Gratuity of £3 went to his father.  His mother, at 6 Valley Road, Anfield, was awarded a pension of 12/6d a week from May 1917.

Henry was remembered on the first anniversary of his death with a notice placed in the Liverpool Echo on 30th July 1917, under the heading, “Lost At The Battle Of Guillemont”:

“In sacred and loving memory of our dear son, Henry H. Woodward, of the 17th K.L.R. (“Pals”), killed in action July 30, 1916. - Fondly remembered by Father, Mother, and Family, 6 Valley Road, Anfield.” 

His brother, Lawrence Banner Woodward, served in the R.A.M.C. and was later posted to the 12th Bn. K.L.R as Private 54495.  He died of wounds on 06th December 1917, at 33 years old.

He now rests in Etretat Churchyard Extension on the Channel coast north of Le Havre.

On the first anniversary of Banner’s death in 1918:

“In loving memory of Lawrence Banner Woodward, who died of wounds in France, December 6, 1917, the beloved husband of Tina Woodward, 3, Valley Road, Anfield;  also Henry, brother of the above, who was killed in action July 30, 1916, the beloved sons of Mr. and Mrs. Woodward, 6, Valley Road, Anfield, Liverpool.”

His father died in 1921, aged 71.

His mother later lived in Fowler Street with married son George. She died in 1932 at the age of 85.

Her death was reported in the Liverpool Daily Post - Tuesday 16 August 1932: 

WOODWARD— August 14, at her son's residence, 12 Fowler-street, Everton, aged 85 years, SARAH ANN WOODWARD. Funeral at Anfield to-morrow (Wednesday), 2 p.m. (Friends please accept this— the only— intimation.) 

Henry is commemorated in Liverpool’s Hall of Remembrance, Panel 32 Left 

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