Henry Bolton

Henry Bolton

Personal Information
Date of Birth	12 Mar 1884
Place of Birth	Bolton, Leeds, England
Death	12 Aug 1916
Place of Death	Mouquet Farm, Poziéres
Age at Enlistment	30 years, 6 months
Description	5'6"(1.67m) tall ; 140 lbs 63.503 kg ; ruddy complexion ; brown eyes ; dark brown hair
Occupation	Engine driver
Religion	Church of England
Address	William street, Armadale
Next of Kin	Friend , Mr Richard Beattie
Military Information
Reg Number	590
Date of Enlistment	25 Sep 1914
Rank	Sergeant
Unit/Formation	16th Battalion C Company / 4th Brigade, 1st Division at Gallipoli; 4th Division in France
Date of Embarkation	24 Dec 1914 ‒ 1 Feb 1915
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A40 Ceramic
Fate	Missing in Action, later confirmed Killed in Action 12 Aug 1916, Mouquet Farm
Monument	Armadale War Memorial (Armadale panel) Villers-Bretonneux Memorial Armadale and Districts Roll of Honour WA State War Memorial Australian War Memorial
Medals	1914-15 Star British War Medal Victory Medal

Pre War

Friend of Richard Beattie and his wife.

War Service

An original member of the 16th Battalion's 'E' Company, Henry trained at Blackboy Hill camp until 21 Nov when the battalion entrained for Fremantle where it boarded two Australian coastal steamers, the "Indarra" and the "Dimboola" which carried them to Port Melbourne, arriving a week later. On arrival they proceeded to the Broadmeadows camp where the 4th Brigade were assembling. On 22 Dec 1914 the battalion embarked on HMAT A40 Ceramic at Port Melbourne's Railway Pier along with the 15th Battalion and some 4th Brigade artillery men. After a brief pause in Albany to form a convoy, they sailed on 31 Dec 1914 for Egypt.

They arrived at Alexandria in Egypt early morning of 1st Feb 1915, and the troops disembarked two days later and travelled by train to Zeitoun near Cairo, before marching to their base at Heliopolis where two days later they reformed into a four Rifle Company Battalion configuration. On 11 April the battalion travelled by train to Alexandria where the majority boarded HMT Haida Pascha (designated as A28) for Lemnos which was reached early on 15 Apr 1915. Following days of practice landings from the ship's boats, they landed at Gallipoli in the late afternoon of 25 April 1915.

Henry was involved in battles at Bloody Angle, and Hill 971 on the Gallipoli Peninsula, and was promoted to Corporal on 24 May 1915, and Sergeant on 14 Aug 1915. A week later he fell ill with enteritis and initially was evacuated to the 3rd Canadian Stationary Hospital at Mudros. On 18 Sep 1915 he was placed aboard HMHS Aquitania to be moved to hospital in England where he was admitted to the Church Lane Military Hospital in Tooting, England with dysentery. On his recovery he embarked in Weymouth for Alexandria as part of the 17th draft to return to Egypt, and he rejoined his battalion at Tel-el-Kebir, on 9 Mar 1916.

The 16th Battalion travelled to France aboard HMT Canada, departing Alexandria on 1 Jun 1916, and disembarking at Marseilles on 9 Jun 1916 before boarding trains for a 2 day journey to northern France. On 9 Aug 1916 the battalion had moved into the front line at Pozières preparatory to an attack on Mouquet Farm. Henry was posted as Missing in Action on 12 Aug 1916, and eventually ruled to have been KIA on that date following an inquiry.

Henry's Red Cross File contains a number of statements by men who knew him, the most reliable of which include:
"If this is the Sergt. Bolton, he was killed on 12th of August coming out of the trenches, when being relieved, passing down the reserve trench. Lieut Potts can give any further information." 3019 Pte McMurray Ward 19, Harefield Hospital.
"He was a Sgt. in X (10) Pl, C. Coy. We knew him as Harry. He was killed coming out of the trenches at Pozieres on or about August 10th. I saw his dead body in the communication trench as we went past. It had to be left there. I knew him quite well. He was a west Australian. 3026 Pte J.B. Opie C Coy..

The Sun (Kalgoorlie) 8 Oct 1916 reported that Henry had been Killed in Action, after previously being recorded as missing.

As he has no known grave, he is commemorated on the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial.

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  Villers Bretonneux Memorial - 2015 photo
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  Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Henry's will records his share holding in oil companies such as: Galacian Oil, Land and Royalties Trust; Galacian Standard; and Romanian Oil.

"Worked at the brickyard. He has no relatives here but was held in much esteem by his mates. He enlisted in the early stages of the war, fought through the Gallipoli campaign, and was killed last year in the fighting in France. He was a sergeant when he fell in action."

External Links

• AIF Project
• RSL Memorial