Henry Reginald Bracey
Memorial: Downend - Christ Church
Regiment: Worcestershire Regiment
Medals: British War Medal, Next of Kin Memorial Plaque 1914 - 1921, Victory Medal
Rank and number: Private 30458
Parents: Henry Reginald and Grace Annie Bracey
Home address: Clarence Road, Staple Hill, Bristol
Pre-war occupation: Venetian Blind Maker
Date of birth: 24/05/1894
Place of birth: Downend, Bristol
Date of death: 04/03/1917
Buried/Commemorated at: No Known Grave – Commemorated at Thiepval Memorial, France and Staple Hill Memorial
Age: 22
Further information:
Henry was born in Downend, Bristol the son of a mason’s labourer and the second eldest child of 9 with 2 sisters and 6 brothers.
Henry served with the 1st Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment. Henry's Regiment was mobilised in August 1914 and by December of that year they were in France fighting in the Pas de Calais. The regiment continued fighting on the Western Front and in the summer of 1916 were engaged in battle on the Somme. The Battle of the Somme finally ended on 18th November 1916 with the onset of winter and the German forces fell back to the Hindenburg Line in the spring of 1917 with no further significant engagement. However, it was during this period that Henry was Killed in Action.
Henry is also recorded on Staple Hill Methodist Church Memorial (Henry Reginald), but on the Downend Christ Church Memorial as Reginald H (possibly due to the fact that his father was also Henry Reginald, and he may have been known as Reginald).
By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):
Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Findmypast (Soldiers Died during the Great War, 1901 and 1911 Census etc), researcher John Davis
Some information has been provided by Sarah Hands, Volunteer Researcher for the South Gloucestershire War Memorials Web Site.
By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):
https://www.cwgc.org/
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/
https://www.findmypast.co.uk/
https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/