Henry Richardson

Henry originally joined the Northumberland Fusiliers in 1906 and could have been with either 1st or 2nd Battalion in 1911, hence not appearing on the Census in Nottingham in 1911. 1st Battalion was in India and 2nd Battalion in barracks at Hillsborough Sheffield. He left the regiment late in 1913. Henry's Next of Kin was registered as Grace Richardson 1 Lindum Grove Nottingham (possibly his wife) although the Register of Soldier's Effects show all monies due to him were paid to his mother Ellen. Henry was recalled to the regiment on 5th August 1914 and after initially attending the depot in Newcastle was sent to join 1st Battalion at Cambridge Barracks in Portsmouth where he was assigned to 'D' Company. Henry went to France on 13th August 1914 on the SS Norman and landed at Le Havre the following day. On 23rd August at Mons, his company was part of the brigade reserve at Cuesmes. After the action at Mariette Bridge, the 1st Battalion fell back on the village of Frameries and it was there that Henry was captured on 24th August. Unfortunately, the War Diary does not show any missing following either Mons or Frameries and he is not mentioned in the Regimental History which also does not mention any POW. However, several International Committee of the Red Cross records say he was captured at Frameries, and as they do not indicate that he was wounded when he became a POW, it is more likely that he was captured during the withdrawal from the village. Henry was held in several camps including: Munster II (1916) Munster III, a former Army barracks (1916) Limburg an der Lahn in Hesse (1917) Minden Henry was imprisoned on several occasions for refusing to work. On Saturday 22nd September 1917, he was a member of a party making barbed wire, which they suspected was for the Western Front, at a work camp called Schwelm III. On Monday 24th September, they refused to undertake the work and were taken back to the camp under arrest. On Tuesday 25th September, they again refused to undertake the work and an Unterofficer Gefreiter and three men came out of a hut, the Gefreiter standing directly in front of Richardson. When the Unterofficer raised a stick he was carrying and threatened to hit him, Richardson raised his hands to defend the blow and was shot dead by the Gefreiter. The Gefreiter was put on trial but acquitted and within a month was back at the camp, having been promoted. The details of Henry’s death come from a newspaper article written by one of his friends who was interred in Holland in April 1918 (see below). Henry is listed as a lieutenant in the article but was never commissioned and remained a private throughout the war. Henry is buried Cologne Southern Cemetery Plot XIV Row C Grave 20.

Four of Henry Richardson’s brothers died in the Great War. Hundreds of Nottinghamshire families lost two sons, scores lost three and one four but, from this county, only William and Ellen Richardson had five sons killed: Private Alfred Richardson, 1st Battalion Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Regiment, was killed in action on 12th March 1915. He is commemorated on Le Touret Memorial, France. Private Ernest Richardson, 10th Battalion Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Regiment, died of wounds on 29th December 1917. He is buried in Rocquigny-Equancourt Road British Cemetery, Manancourt, France. Private Thomas Richardson, 2nd Battalion Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Regiment, was killed in action on 16th September 1916. He is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, France. Private William Richardson, 1st Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment, was killed in action on 17th October 1914. Commemorated on Le Touret Memorial.