676693 PTE. H. DOBSON. R.F.A.

 

Henry Dobson was born on 11 June 1893 in Penwortham and baptised at Farington St Paul’s on 6 August.  His father was John Dobson (b. 1852 in Longton), a farm labourer.  His mother was Alice Newsham (b. 1854 in Preston).  John and Alice were married in 1877 and had 9 children, 6 of whom survived into adulthood: Ellen (b 1879), Jane (1881-1907), Alice (b. 1883), Hannah (b. 1889), James (b. 1891), then Henry and finally John (b 1895).  In 1911, John and Alice and their six children were living at West View in Penwortham (off Penwortham Lane near Skew Bridge).  Henry was working as a rubber mixer presumably at one of the rubber factories in Leyland.  In 1913, Henry was married to Margaret Alice Ward (b. 1893 in Preston).  It’s likely that the couple then moved to Lostock Hall.

 

Henry enlisted in 275 (West Lancashire) Brigade of the Royal Field Artillery which formed part of 55th (West Lancashire) Division.  He was assigned service number 3545 and at the end of 1916 the new service number 676693.  He possibly joined 275 Brigade in France in the spring of 1916.  55th Division spent the first half of 1917 in the Ypres salient, where they had a comparatively quiet time, if being surrounded by enemy on three sides and under constant artillery fire could be described as quiet.  Henry was killed in action on 7 June 1917, a few days before his 24th birthday.  His widow, Margaret Alice, did not remarry after the War.  She lived at 406 Leyland Road, Lostock Hall, and died in 1985.

 

Rank:  Gunner

Service No:  676693

Date of Death: 07/06/1917

Regiment/Service:  Royal Field Artillery, "A" Bty. 275th Bde.

Grave Reference:  I. A. 32.

Cemetery:  VLAMERTINGHE NEW MILITARY CEMETERY

 

It’s a bit convoluted, but Henry’s sister Hannah was married to William Wiseman, whose brother Joseph was in the Loyal North Lancs Regt. and was killed in 1916.

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