Henry Herbert Lonnen

17th February 1917, Age 31

THIEPVAL MEMORIAL

Henry Herbert Lonnen died on 17 February 1917, aged 31. He was a Private in the Royal Fusiliers and was the son of George and Fanny Lonnen of Spring Road, Bournemouth. He had four brothers, two of whom (Frank and Gerald) also died in WWI, and two sisters, Mercy and Fanny.  He was married to Lilian Victoria Lonnen, and in 1911 they lived with their two-year-old daughter at 8 Connaught Road, Pokesdown. By the outbreak of war they had moved to 27 Stourfield Road, Southbourne. Henry is commemorated on both the All Saints, Southbourne and St James, Pokesdown Hill WW1 memorials. Henry’s eldest brother, William Walter, married Dorcas Beatrice Read, the sister of Richard William Read, also commemorated on the St. James’ WWI Memorial Cross.

Henry Lonnen’s Family Tree

Henry enlisted in the 23rd Battalion the Royal Fusiliers (London Regiment). They were one of the ‘Pals’ Battalions –  but like no other. Known as the  1st ‘Sportsmen’s’ Battalion, they owed their origin to Mrs Emma Cunliffe-Owen, a well connected society lady.

Upon berating some men friends one day for not wearing khaki, she was challenged by them to raise a Battalion. Mrs Cunliffe -Owen responded by asking Lord Kitchener: ‘Will you accept a complete Battalion of upper and middle class men, physically fit, up to the age of forty-five?’ The answer came back: ‘Lord Kitchener gratefully accepts complete battalion’.

Mrs Cunliffe-Owen enrolled her 1st Sportsmen’s Battalion in Grand Style at the Hotel Cecil on The Strand, London. Unusually for a ‘Pals’ battalion she did not  recruit from a small local area but enlisted men who were well known in the fields of sports such as cricket, boxing, rugby and football, and from the media. They were the first Battalion to accept men up to the age of 45 and attracted trappers, planters and big game hunters from all over the world. They were accepted if they were in good health, and if they could ride and shoot.

The Battalion moved to Hornchurch in Essex and in June 1915 came under command of 99th Brigade, 33rd Division. They landed at Boulogne in November 1915 and were transferred with the Brigade to 2nd Division on 25th November 1915.

One of the first British formations to move to France, the 2nd Division remained on the Western Front throughout the war. It is not clear currently when Henry entered the war, however, the Division took part in most of the major actions, including:

1914
The Battle of Mons and the subsequent retreat, including the the Affair of Landrecies, the Rearguard affair of Le Grand Fayt and the Rearguard actions of Villers-Cotterets
The Battle of the Marne
The Battle of the Aisne including participation in the Actions on the Aisne heights
First Battle of Ypres

1915
Winter Operations 1914-15
The Battle of Festubert
The Battle of Loos

1916
The Battle of Delville Wood*
The Battle of the Ancre*
The battles marked * are phases of the Battles of the Somme 1916
Operations on the Ancre

1917
On January 9 a move was made from Oneux to Candas, to Beauquesne on the 11th, to Bouzincourt on the 13th, and to Aveluy on the 20th. From there it went into the trenches at Courcelette, “A” and “C” Companies being in the front line, and “B” and “D” in support.

On February 1 the Battalion moved from Courcelette to Ovillers Huts, and on the 5th went on to Senlis, moving to Wolfe Huts on the 15th, and into the line for operations a day later.

Intense cold was experienced at this time. The ground, like iron, was covered with snow. The frost was intense, one man being actually frozen stiff at his post on sentry, and drinking water carried to the front line arrived as lumps of ice, from which bits were chipped for eating.

An attack on the German trenches was made on February 17. Unluckily a day before the attack the frost gave way, a very rapid thaw set in, making No Man’s Land deep and heavy with slush and mud. Moving to the attack over such ground was terrible; the objective line was reached, but the following casualties were sustained:

Officers killed	8
Officers wounded	4
Officers missing	1
	13
Other ranks killed	30
Other ranks wounded	165
Other ranks missing	32
	227

It is possible the Henry died during this action; He is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.

Wooden Remembrance Cross placed on the St. James’ WWI Memorial, 13th November 2016, in memory of the ‘Brothers’ In Arms’.

 

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