Pte. Henry Stanhope Bernard

Henry Stanhope Bernard was born 11 Nov 1871, Cambridge. He started his early working life in Auckland as a clicker but for most of his life he worked as a plumber in Wellington. Just before the first war he became a machinist. He never married, had a dear sweetheart Miss Eliza Webber, McIntyre Avenue, Wellington, New Zealand whom he left in New Zealand when he departed for Europe and the Great War. They were to be married on his return, but instead she suffered the rest of her life, single, with no war widow's pension. He was part of the worst tragedy to befall European Australasians when 18,166 New Zealanders were killed and a whole generation gave its most creative energy to senseless slaughter. Harry was to die in France on the 18th of September 1916 just 23 days before his 45th birthday. Two years later on what would have been his 47th birthday the Armistice document was signed at Rethondes 11 November 1918. Harry was buried by comrades near where he died. Two years later, using a grid reference the Army were to lift his remains and inter them at the Warlencourt British Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France - plot IV, row L, Grave 5. The cemetery lies on the east side of the D929, to the south east of Warlencourt village and five kilometres south west of Bapaume. Source: Geoff Williams via Cenotaph.

Sources

1. Cenotaph: https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/...
2. New Zealand and World War One Roll of Honour: http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~sooty/genealogy/nzefrohBa.html / Ref 4.4.2021