Private 11154 Henry Thomas Hughes

Died of Wounds on Tuesday, 4th April 1916, age 33.
Buried in Grave I. F. 24. at Lapugnoy Military Cemetery, Pas De Calais, France.

2nd Bn., South Staffordshire Regiment. 6th Brigade of 2nd Division.

Husband of Mrs Maud Hughes, of 110, Dudley Rd., Tividale, Tipton, Staffs.
Born: Oldbury, Enlisted: Wolverhampton, Resident: Great Barr (editor: possibly Great Bridge).

First landed France & Flanders, 28th November 1914.
Medal entitlement: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal.
Soldier's Papers at National Archives did not survive.

Not commemorated on any Tipton memorial.
Commemorated here because identified as Tipton on Commonwealth War Graves site.

Link to Commonwealth War Graves Site: www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/54272/h-hughes/

Genealogical Data

Birth of Henry Thomas Hughes registered March quarter 1883 in West Bromwich.

1901 Census
2 Back of 56 Chruchbridge, Oldbury, Worcs.
Samuel Hughes (37, Brickyard Labourer, born Oldbury), his wife Nancy (39, born Oldbury), and their 7 children: Henry (18, Brickyard Labourer, born Oldbury), Jane (17, born Oldbury), Earnest (13, born Oldbury), Nancy (11, born Oldbury), Abigail (8, born Oldbury), Benjamin (5, born Oldbury) and Arthur (2, born Oldbury).

1911 Census
No. 11 House No. 3 Court, Inkerman Street, Oldbury, Worcs.
Samuel Hughes (48, Brickyard Labourer, born Oldbury), his wife Nancy (49, born Oldbury), and 5 of their 8 surviving children of 9: Henry (28, No Occupation, born Oldbury), Ernest (23, Brickyard Labourer, born Oldbury), Benjamin (15, No Occuation, born Oldbury), John (12, School born Oldbury) and Mercy (8, School, born Oldbury).

Marriage of Henry T. Hughes and Maud Taff registered December quarter 1912 in Dudley.

Personal Data

Henry is unlikely to be a Tipton man. He is commemorated here because the Commonwealth War Graves records his widow's address as 110 Dudley Road, Tividale which maybe just ouside the Tipton border of Tividale. This was her father's residence and she was living here in 1911 before her marriage, and again in 1916; it is not known whether Henry ever lived there. When Henry enlisted in September 1914, his residence was recorded as Great Barr, this is possibly an error and likely to be Great Bridge.

As Henry was drafted to France on 28th November 1914, it is likely that he was either a Reservist (being a time-expired regular), or a Special Reservist. November 1914 was too early to have been a war-time volunteer, or a pre-war Territorial soldier.

Henry’s younger brother, Private 14211 Ernest Hughes, died of wounds on 2nd August 1916. He was serving with the 17th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers; he is buried in Boulogne Eastern Cemetery.

After Henry's death, his outstanding army pay and allowances amounted to £4/4/5d (4 pounds, 4 shillings and 5 pence); this was paid to his widow and sole legatee, Maud Hughes, in June and August 1916. His War Gratuity was £7/0/0d (7 pounds exactly), this was also paid to his widow in August 1919. The value of the War Gratuity suggests that Henry had enlisted in approximately September 1914.

Henry's widow, Maud, was awarded a Widow's Pension of £0/10/0d (10 shillings exactly) per week effective from 28th October 1916. Her address at that time was 110 Dudley Road, Tividale, this was her father’s residence where she lived before her marriage.

Henry's mother, Mrs Nancy Hughes, was granted a Dependant's Pension of £0/5/0d (5 shillings) per week, effective from 2nd April 1918 in respect of her 2 sons: Henry and Ernest. Her address was 11 House 3 Court, Inkerman Street, Oldbury.

Action resulting in his death

Henry was mortally wounded in action, and died on 4th April 1916 in the 18th Casualty Clearing Station which had been based at Lapugnoy since August 1915. He was buried in the adjacent Lapugnoy Military Cemetery.

He was likely to have been wounded whilst on a working party as for some time prior to his death his battalion had been in training away from the front line.

The War Diary records:
2 April 1916
The battalion left Camblain-Châtelain at 8.40am and marched to Bruay Station, entrained there and detrained at Barlin, marching thence to Hersin which was reached about 12 noon.

3 to 11 April 1916
The battalion occupied billets in Hersin.
During the whole of this period the battalion furnished a working party every night of 3 to 4 officers and 250 to 350 men. These parties worked on the Ligne Basolle, the 2nd line of defence. They were conveyed in motor lorries to Aix-Noulette and worked from 8pm to 2am getting back in billets between 3am to 4am.

Assistance of Graeme Clarke gratefully acknowledged.

Newspaper Cuttings

None.