John Henry - Lest We Forget

John Henry was born December 3, 1888, in Bradford, Yorkshire, England. He was the son of Martin and Mary Henry, of Bolling St., Wakefield Rd., Bradford, Yorkshire, England. 

John Henry signed his enlistment papers on December 3, 1915 at Kamloops. His regimental number was 503467. He was exactly 27 years old, single, 5’ 2 ¾ ” tall with brown hair and blue eyes. He had a shamrock, thistle and rose tattoo on his right hand, and the words “Rose” and “Love” tattooed on his left forearm. His religious affiliation was Roman Catholic. He was working as a labourer and had some military experience with the 102nd Rocky Mountain Rangers, the Revelstoke militia. Perhaps because of his short stature he was assigned as a tunneller.

John Henry died of an illness on December 9, 1916 at a Military Hospital at Bradford, Yorkshire, England, his birth place. He was 28 years old.  At the time of his death he was a Sapper with the 2nd Tunnelling Company, Canadian Engineers. He is buried at Bradford (Bowling) Cemetery, Yorkshire, United Kingdom. John had a younger brother, T. Henry, who served with the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, and died on September 30, 1914 at age 21.

The name of John Henry is inscribed on the Courthouse and Cenotaph plaques.