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Henry James Bamford
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 15/12/1884 |
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Place of birth: Milton, Derbyshire, England, United Kingdom |
General information
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Last known residence: Swadlincote, Derbyshire, England, United Kingdom |
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Profession: Carter |
Army information
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Country: England, United Kingdom |
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Force: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Private |
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Service number: 33651 |
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Enlistment place: Church Gresley, Swadlincote, Derbyshire, England, United Kingdom |
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Units: — Yorkshire Regiment, 9th Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 20/09/1917 |
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Place of death: Inverness Copse, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 32 |
Cemetery
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Tyne Cot Cemetery Plot: LXVII Row: G Grave: 16 |
Points of interest 4
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Last known residence | ||
| #3 | Enlistment place | ||
| #4 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Henry James Bamford was born on 15 December 1884 in Milton, Derbyshire, United Kingdom. He was the son of Henry Bamford and Ann Elizabeth Dolman. Before the war, he worked as a carter. On 9 October 1912, he married Nellie Carr in Swandlincote. During the First World War, he enlisted in the British Army. He was assigned to the 9th Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment.
In September 1917, the men of the 9th Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment were stationed in the area around Ypres. The Battle of Passchendaele was in full swing at the time. On 19 September, they left Micmac Camp for Railway Dugouts to move towards the front line. During the night of 19 to 20 September, the troops arrived at the front line near the Menin Road, opposite Inverness Copse.
At 5:40 a.m., the attack on Inverness Copse began. A and D Companies were the attacking companies, while B and C Companies followed in support. Initially, the advance was steady due to the smoke from the bombardments, the churned-up ground, and the mist. Once in Inverness Copse, the troops halted to regroup and prepare for the further advance. During this pause, they were attacked from behind by Germans who had not been noticed during the advance through the forest. After these groups were dealt with, the troops continued towards the first objective line.
During this advance, the British forces suffered heavy casualties from German machine-gun and rifle fire, as well as bombardments. Upon reaching the German dugouts and fortified positions, hand-to-hand combat ensued. While securing these positions, B and C Companies passed the first line and continued towards the second objective line. They managed to capture it. After the fighting subsided, the captured positions were consolidated, and several counterattacks were repelled. Four days later, the last troops of the 11th Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment were withdrawn from the front line.
On 20 September, the battalion suffered 23 killed, 145 wounded, and 27 missing. The 32-year-old Henry James Bamford was among the fallen. He was reburied after the war at Tyne Cot Cemetery, Plot LXVII, Row G, Grave 16.
In September 1917, the men of the 9th Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment were stationed in the area around Ypres. The Battle of Passchendaele was in full swing at the time. On 19 September, they left Micmac Camp for Railway Dugouts to move towards the front line. During the night of 19 to 20 September, the troops arrived at the front line near the Menin Road, opposite Inverness Copse.
At 5:40 a.m., the attack on Inverness Copse began. A and D Companies were the attacking companies, while B and C Companies followed in support. Initially, the advance was steady due to the smoke from the bombardments, the churned-up ground, and the mist. Once in Inverness Copse, the troops halted to regroup and prepare for the further advance. During this pause, they were attacked from behind by Germans who had not been noticed during the advance through the forest. After these groups were dealt with, the troops continued towards the first objective line.
During this advance, the British forces suffered heavy casualties from German machine-gun and rifle fire, as well as bombardments. Upon reaching the German dugouts and fortified positions, hand-to-hand combat ensued. While securing these positions, B and C Companies passed the first line and continued towards the second objective line. They managed to capture it. After the fighting subsided, the captured positions were consolidated, and several counterattacks were repelled. Four days later, the last troops of the 11th Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment were withdrawn from the front line.
On 20 September, the battalion suffered 23 killed, 145 wounded, and 27 missing. The 32-year-old Henry James Bamford was among the fallen. He was reburied after the war at Tyne Cot Cemetery, Plot LXVII, Row G, Grave 16.
Sources 6
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9 Battalion Yorkshire Regiment war diary (The National Archives, KEW (TNA), WO 95/2184/3). http://nationalarchives.gov.uk Sources used |
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Census Returns of England and Wales, 1891 (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), RG12). https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used |
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Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911 (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), RG14). http://Ancestry.com Sources used |
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Derbyshire, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1932 http://ancestry.com Sources used |
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UK, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919, His Majesty's Stationery Office (HMSO), 1921. http://Ancestry.com Sources used |
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UK, World War I Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923, (Western Front Association: 012/0038/Bai-Bai). http://ancestry.com Sources used |
More information 3
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/461813 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/164562 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=1e788dbf-aa00-433d-88d5-52cd44f4eb55 |