Pte 58043 Henry Townsend Quibell

• Age: 19
• From: Islington, London
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Monday 9th April 1917
• Commemorated at: Wancourt Brit Cem
  Panel Ref: VI.G.13

Henry Townsend Quibell was born on the 26th July 1897 in Islington, London the only son of Harry Quibell and his wife Jane, known as Jennie, (nee Calver) who married in April 1896 at St George's Church, Hanover Square, London. Henry was baptised "Harry" on the 03rd April 1898 also at St George's Church, Hanover Square, his father was a builders clerk of 125 Corbyn Street.

The 1901 Census records the 3 year old Harry junior living with his parents at 166 Ilbert Road, Kilburn, London. His father is 32 years of age and working as a builders estimator, his mother, Jennie, is 28 years old.

By 1911, at 24 Cranleigh Roadd, Tottenham,  he has two sisters, Dorothy aged 3 and Evelyn aged 9 months. Also living with their parents is their widowed paternal grandmother Betsy aged 80. born in Worksop. His father, Harry, is aged 42, a building surveyor born in Pimlico, mother Jennie is 38 born in Mayfair. They advise that they have been married for15 years and have had 3 children. Sadly his sister Evelyn died later in 1911. 

Harry junior was educated at Downhills School, Tottenham and after finishing his education he was employed as a clerk with H. Autram Ltd of George Lane.

Harry, as he was known, enlisted on 21st February 1916 joining the 1st Battalion of the City of London Divisional  Cyclists. His service records show he had transferred to the Army Cyclist Corps as Private 296. This was before he subsequently transferred to the 18th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 58403. Harry served overseas with the 18th Battalion from 30th December 1916. 

He was killed in action on Easter Monday the 09th April 1917, aged just 19. This was the opening day of the Battle of Arras.

Arras 09^th April 1917

Details of the circumstances the 18^th Battalion had to contend with are illustrated below:

The battalion formed the left assaulting battalion of the brigade, the 2^nd Wiltshire Regiment being on the right, the 19^th Manchester Regiment being in support and 2^nd Battalion Yorkshire Regiment furnishing “moppers -up”  for the two assaulting battalions. The brigade advance was timed to begin at ---- hour after “Zero”, suited to conform with the movements of 56^th Division and other divisions on our left further north (near Arras). This battalion’s objective was the front-line system Lion Lane on the left (exclusive) to Panther Lane on right (exclusive). This sector included the strongpoint known as “The Egg”.

The brigade advanced at prearranged time, i.e., 11.38 a.m, from position of assembly trenches south of Neuville Vitasse to German front line. This necessitated an advance across the open of at least 2,000 yards. This area up to Neuville Vitasse- Henin road was crossed in artillery formation; after this, owing to machine-gun fire and considerable resistance from German posts forward in the sunken roads, it was found necessary to deploy. During the whole movement across the open the advancing columns had been under considerable artillery fire from guns of all calibres. On gaining the position immediately in front of German line it was found that the wire was practically uncut; this wire formed two strong belts in front of German trenches. Two small gaps were eventually discovered and Second-Lieut H.F.Merry gallantly led a bombing party through them, but his three remaining men were killed as they reached the German trenches.

From the moment the battalion was “held up” in front of German wire Capt. R. W. Jones, the senior company commander on the spot, at once began the work of consolidating in front of German wire. The battalion held on in this position for the remainder of the day, until relieved by the 16^th Manchester Regiment about 3 a.m. on the 10^th of April, all the time under intense machine-gun and rifle fire.

Between 9th-10th April, 1917, the 18th King's lost 2 officers 2nd Lt. F. Ashcroft and 2nd Lt. H.G. Ewing and 59 other ranks killed. 8 other officers were wounded. 

Harry now rests at Wancourt British Cemetery in France at plot VI.G.13 where his headstone bears the poignant epitaph:

"OUR DEAR SONNY" 

Wancourt was captured on 12 April 1917 after very heavy fighting and the advance was continued on the following days. The cemetery, called at first Cojeul Valley Cemetery, or River Road Cemetery, was opened about ten days later; it was used until October 1918, but was in German hands from March 1918 until 26 August, when the Canadian Corps recaptured Wancourt. At the Armistice, the cemetery contained 410 graves, but was very greatly increased in the following years when graves were brought in from the following small cemeteries and isolated positions on the battlefields south-east of Arras including HENIN-SUR-COJEUL, about 800 metres North of the village, contained the graves of 29 British soldiers who fell on 9 April 1917, almost all of whom belonged to the 2nd Wilts or the 18th King's Liverpool's. The cemetery now contains 1,936 burials and commemorations of the First World War. 829 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 76 casualties known or believed to be buried among them, and to 20 who were buried in Signal Trench Cemetery whose graves were destroyed in later battles. The cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens. 

It is interesting to note that his employer generously paid the family half of Harry's salary whilst he was in the Army. 

Parents are found on the electoral roll at 1 Warner Street, Islington at the time of Henry's death.

The wonderful photograph is reproduced with kind permission of the Imperial War Museum. It was taken a week before Harry left England to serve in France.

His mother died in the December quarter of 1938, aged 67.

His father died in the March quarter of 1948, aged 79.

We currently have no further information on Henry Townsend Quibell, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.