Henry was born in Dromore, Tyrone, (Northern) Ireland (as was my grandfather). His father was a "draper" which is a person who sells cloth and dried goods.
He had four older siblings (Mary Anne, Patrick, Francis, Joseph) when he was born, and would see seven born after him (Winifred, Dominick, Margaret, Bridget, Elizabeth, Peter, and my grandfather, John, the youngest).
Henry was about 16 when my grandfather was born in 1890. By 1901, Henry had emigrated to Glasgow, Scotland. I don't know when Henry emigrated there. Perhaps when he was 18, in 1898?
If so, he and my grandfather wouldn't have known each other very long.
I found Henry in the 1901 Census of Scotland, living in a boarding home, and working as a spirit shopman in Glasgow.
By the 1911 Census however, he was in the British Army, and was serving with the Royal Irish Rifles, stationed on Andaman Island (850 miles east of India, in the Indian Ocean). His occupation was mortarman. He wasn't married. Another document said he'd enlisted nine years before WWI (which was 1914 for Europe), so he enlisted around 1905 or 1906.
I don't know what battles Henry may have participated in, if any, previous to his death, but he died on April 28, 1916 from wounds received from incoming. His unit was in the area of Souchez, trenches Q89-92. He died in Casualty Clearing Station 30, in the area of Vimy Ridge in France, though that famous battle was fought a year later. The yellow box near Arras is the approximate location of where he was killed.
I found Henry in the 1901 Census of Scotland, living in a boarding home, and working as a spirit shopman in Glasgow.
By the 1911 Census however, he was in the British Army, and was serving with the Royal Irish Rifles, stationed on Andaman Island (850 miles east of India, in the Indian Ocean). His occupation was mortarman. He wasn't married. Another document said he'd enlisted nine years before WWI (which was 1914 for Europe), so he enlisted around 1905 or 1906.
I don't know what battles Henry may have participated in, if any, previous to his death, but he died on April 28, 1916 from wounds received from incoming. His unit was in the area of Souchez, trenches Q89-92. He died in Casualty Clearing Station 30, in the area of Vimy Ridge in France, though that famous battle was fought a year later. The yellow box near Arras is the approximate location of where he was killed.
He is buried in Aubigny Communal Cemetery Extension, near Arras, France. It's southeast of Calais, near the Belgian border. It's not a very large cemetery, as you can see from the map. Some day I hope to visit.
A Northern Ireland newspaper printed a tribute to local fallen servicemen. Henry is listed in this one.
He had made out his will in 1915, leaving all effects to his mother, Mary (Mannion) Kilgariff.
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