Henry Harry Cumberpatch 1894-1916

Henry Harry Cumberpatch

Lance Corporal 14576 6th Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment

Henry 'Harry' Cumberpatch was born in the Parish of St Sepulchre, Northampton, Northamptonshire, England in 1894. He was the son of Thomas Cumberpatch and his wife Florence nee Randall. His mother died when Harry was 4 years old. Harry was a boot rivetter in Rushden Wellingborough, Northamptonshire in 1911. Harry joined the army in World War 1. He enlisted as Private 14576 in the 6th Battalion of the Northampton Regiment. He arrived in France on 26 July 1915 aged 21.

Henry 'Harry' Cumberpatch was reported missing after the Battle of Trones Wood :

Capture of Trônes Wood 14 July [1916]

Just after midnight on 13/14 July, the 54th Brigade began to assemble for another attack on the wood. With no time for reconnaissance and attacking in the dark, the commander Brigadier-General H. Shoubridge decided that the simplest plan was needed and ordered an advance from south to north, with a defensive flank along the eastern edge of the wood being formed during the attack. The two nearest battalions were ordered forward, with the commander of the 12th Middlesex Battalion, Lieutenant-Colonel F. A. Maxwell put in charge of the attack. By 2:30 a.m. one battalion was ready but the other one was still assembling. At 4:30 a.m., an hour after the main attack (the Battle of Bazentin Ridge) had begun, the leading battalion crossed 1,000 yards (910 m) of open ground in artillery formation through a German barrage, into the south-western side of the wood. The German redoubt at the south end of Central Trench was enveloped and rushed at 6:00 a.m., then the advance continued and reached the eastern edge, which was again mistaken for the northern point of the wood. A defensive flank was formed from the railway line, south to the strong point at Trônes Alley; the second battalion entered the wood at 8:00 a.m. and Maxwell went forward and found parties from many units in the south-eastern corner. No sounds of battle could be heard and a search to the north found little sign of the first battalion. Maxwell sent a company to attack the strong point, combined with another attack by the troops in Maltz Horn Trench.

An officer moved west by compass and troops followed in single-file, then turned right to advance north. Direction continued to be maintained by compass, with frequent halts to reorganise and the troops fired into the undergrowth as they advanced. The south end of Central Trench was rolled up, threatening the German posts along the western edge with envelopment and the Germans withdrew north to the railway line. The last German survivors were ordered out at 9:00 a.m. and retired to Guillemont Station and Waterlot Farm. The British reached the real northern point at 9:30 a.m., after a delay at the light railway to capture a machine-gun nest. German troops pushed north by the advance tried to retreat to Guillemont, covered by four machine-guns at the eastern edge but lost many casualties to British infantry fire from the defensive flank and the strong point, which had been taken at 9:00 a.m. Consolidation began by linking a line of shell-holes, which lay beyond the eastern fringe of the wood. The German 24th Reserve Division from Champagne, had reached the Somme front on 14 July and Reserve Infantry Regiment 107 was ordered to retake Trônes Wood. At Guillemont the regiment was ordered to dig in from the village past the east end of Delville Wood. The signs of a German counter-attack were seen in the afternoon and a British bombardment of the east side of the wood continued into the night but no attack came, the German second line having been made the main line of defence.

[Source: wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capture_of_Tr%C3%B4nes_Wood ]

He died at the Somme, France on 14th July 1916. He was 22 years of age and had become Lance Corporal 14576 in 6th Battalion of the Northamptonshire Regiment. He was in a position of leadership at a young age. Harry is buried in grave F.2. at the Bernafay Wood British Cemetery, Montauban, Somme, France. He is commemorated on his sister's grave in Rushden Cemetery, Grave E621:

In Loving Memory of
Harry, beloved husband of Catherine Maddams, who died Dec'r 4th 1919, aged 27 years
Also her beloved brother
Harry Cumberpatch, Killed in France July 14th 1916, aged 22 years. Nobly fought bravely died.

Obituary

Rushden Drummer Killed Lance-Corpl Harry Cumberpatch Previously Reported Missing
News has been received this week by Mr and Mrs T Cumberpatch of 25 Spencer road, Rushden, that their son, Lance-Corpl Drummer Harry Cumberpatch who was reported missing soon after the battle of Tones Wood on July 14th, was killed on that date. Lance-Corpl Cumberpatch who was in the Northants Regt., was 22 years of age and was well known in Rushden.
The Rushden Echo Friday 7 May 1920, transcibed by Nicky Bates

Scout's Roll of Honour – Mr F E Preston has designed and executed a very beautiful Roll of Honour in connection with the 1st Rushden Troop of Boy Scouts. The Roll which has been nicely framed, contains the names of the following scouts who during the war made the supreme sacrifice: Charles R Allen, William Baldrey, Frederick Bass, Frank Burgess, Cyril Cook, George Clark, Henry Cumberpatch, Frank Charles, Ernest Campion, Leonard James, Thomas Litchfield, Andre Nicol, Cyril Newell, Sidney Percival, Frank Smith, Leslie Silburn, Harry Wagstaff, Kenneth W Webb, John E Welch, Albert Wilmott, Harry Whiting, George Woodcraft, Dennis Knight, John Hooton. Underneath the names are the words "In memory of those who have fallen." Then follows the names of members and ex-members who "Served their King and Country 1914-1918." The spirit of the Scout movement is effectively symbolised by Mr Preston in the design.

Medal Rolls

NORTHAMPTONSHIRE REGIMENT

B.480

ROLL of INDIVIDUALS entitled to the Decoration granted under Army Order 20 of 1919 [1914-15 Star]

 

 

Regtl. No.

Rank

Name

Date of Disembarkation

Remarks

 

14576

Private

Cumberpatch H. [Henry ‘Harry’]

26 Jul 1915 (1) [France]

Died 14 Jul 1916

Warley, 1 Jul 1920

NORTHAMPTON REGIMENT

B.1752

ROLL of INDIVIDUALS entitled to the Victory Medal and British War Medal under Army Orders 301 and 266 of 1919

Regimental No.

Rank

Name

Unit (in order)

Remarks

14576

Private

Cumberpatch, Harry

6th Northampton Regiment 14576 Private

 

Warley, 5 Nov 1920

Medal Card

Name.

Corps.

Rank.

Regtl No.

CUMBERPATCH

Northamptonshire Regiment

Private

14576

Royal Engineers

Ditto

Ditto

 

 

 

Harry

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Medal.

Roll.

Page.

Remarks.

VICTORY

K/1/101B10

1752

 

BRITISH

Ditto

Ditto

 15 STAR

K/1/7B

480

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Theatre of War first served in

1 [France]

 

Date of entry therein

26 Jul 1915

 

 

 

 

K1380

 

 

Correspondence

Address

 

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

INDEX No. Fr. 400 BERNAFAY WOOD CEM. MONTAUBAN

CUMBERPATCH, Lce. Cpl. H., 14576. 6th Bn. Northamptonshire Regt. 14th July, 1916. Age 22. Son of Thomas Cumberpatch, of 25, Spencer Road., Rushden, Northants. Native of Northampton. F.2.

CONCENTRATION OF GRAVES
BURIAL RETURN

Name of Cemetery of Reburial: Bernafay Wood

Row: F

Map Reference: S.291

Was cross on grave?: G.28

Regiment: Private Cumberpatch Northampton

COMPREHENSIVE REPORT OF HEADSTONE INSCRIPTIONS “A”

Badge Design No. and Layout No.

1st Line

2nd Line

3rd Line

4th Line

 

Centre of Stone

 

 

 

Number and Rank

Initials, Name and Honours

Regiment

Date of Death

Age

Relig. Emb.

Plot O

Row R

Grave G

No. of Stone

1043/1A

14576 Lance Corporal

H Cumberpatch

Northamptonshire Regiment

14th July 1916

Age 22

Cross

1 F 2

146

 COMPREHENSIVE REPORT OF HEADSTONE INSCRIPTIONS “B”

Badge Design No. and Layout No.

Headstone No.

Line 1

Line 2

Line 3

Line 4

No of Letters of Text

 

146

(Mr. T. Cumberpatch, 25 Spencer Rd, Rushden,)

 

 

 

GRAVES REGISTRATION REPORT FORM

PLACE OF BURIAL BERNAFAY WOOD B.C.

Regiment

No.

Name

Rank and Initials

Date of Death

Cross Erected

Plot, Row and Grave

6th Northampton Regiment

14576

Cumberpatch

Lance Corporal H.

14 Jul 1916

3/26821

Row F, 2