Military History

Henry is listed as being killed in action on 22 Mar 1918, the second day of the German Spring Offensive. The 10th Battalion War diary for both February & March 1918 is missing, most likely lost as the Germans pushed forward. The following description of events for the 21st to 23rd is taken from The Story of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment by C. L. Kingsford.

"The experience of the 10th Royal Warwickshire was not less arduous or prolonged [as other Battalions]. On the morning of March 21 they were in camp near Barastre, but in the afternoon were sent forward to a position NE of Velu. That day the enemy had taken Lagnicourt and Doignes. At nightfall the 10th Royal Warwickshire was out under the command of the 154th Brigade of the 51st Division. Their orders were to hold on to the last.

For them the next day was only one of constant shelling, but elsewhere the line was being gradually forced back. On the 23rd in the morning the Germans broke through at Beaumetz; one unit after another was forced to give ground, but the 10th Royal Warwickshire not till afternoon. Even then Captain J.R. Gribble, with his company on the right would not yield. His orders were to hold on, and he did not withdraw, though he might easily have done so when the rest of the Battalion was forced back to the secondary position. When his right flank was in the air owing to the withdrawal of the neighbouring troops, he sent a runner to the with a message that he would stay until ordered to retire, this resolution inspired his men to accompalish, and when last seen he was still fighting, surrounded by the enemy at close range.

By his splendid example Captail Gribble was instrumental in preventing for some hours the enemy from obtaining a complete mastery of the crest of the ridge, and by his magnificent self-sacrifice he enabled the remainder of his Brigade to be withdrawn. His heroism won him the Victoria Cross.

During the early part of afternoon of March 23 the rest of the Battalion held the position to which they had withdrawn, under constantly increasing pressure on their left where the enemy endeavoured to debouch eastwards from Velu Wood. At three o'clock they withdrew by order to Bertincourt and in the evening fell back to Bancourt. They had lost more than half their number and the remnant under Major Wingrove (less than 800) were ordered to take up a position to the east of Bapaume". END