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 Gould.jpg) 329537 1st Battalion, Cambridgeshire Regiment
Henry Gould, known as Harry was born in 1884 in Luton, Bedfordshire. He was the third son of William and Annie Gould. His father was employed as a hat blocker and his two older sisters were employed in the same industry. The family lived in Chapel Street, Luton. Harry moved to Sudbury around 1905 and was the Manager of The London Central Meat Company in Gainsborough Street. He was well known for his ‘genial and affable nature’. Harry married Lydia Caroline Hammond at St. Gregory’s Church on 28 July 1909, they had two daughters; Winifred and Marjorie and lived in Acton Lane.
A report of the Sudbury Tribunal in the Suffolk and Essex Free Press on 5 July 1916 states that the London Central Meat Company applied for exemption for Harry as they could not get staff to replace those leaving to enlist. Over 400 men from their various stores had been called up which was 60% of the work force and they had been forced to close 85 shops. Harry had been the manager at the Gainsborough Street store for eleven years. He was granted one month’s exemption. A further application was made in August 1916 but no further extension was granted.
Harry enlisted in Sudbury and served with the Cambridgeshire Regiment (formerly 8338), which formed part of 118th Brigade, 39th Division. Before he left he told his family that he knew he wouldn’t be coming back. He continued his trade as a butcher in the army and by November 1917 he had been in Flanders for ten months.
In August it was reported that he had been slightly wounded, probably in the opening phases of the Third Battle of Ypres at Pilckem Ridge (31 July – 2 August) or Langemarck (16 – 18 August) where the 39th Division saw action. He had not been back in the front line more than a week before he was killed during the Second Battle of Passchendaele (26 October – 10 November).
After his death his widow received a letter from his officer Lt. W J Chapman: ‘On the morning of 2nd November he was one of a small party when an enemy shell penetrated the shelter and so severely injured him that he died shortly afterwards. Before he expired he handed to me his watch which I am forwarding to you’. Sadly the gold pocket watch was not in the small parcel of possessions that were eventually returned to his family.
Harry was killed in action on 2nd November 1917. He lies buried in Hooge Crater Cemetery, near Ypres, Belgium. His brother-in-law Robert Hammond lost his life in France just one month later, he is also remembered on the Sudbury War Memorial. Harry was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
A Cross of Remembrance was laid by his grave in April 2006, April 2009 and April 2017 (the year of the 100th anniversary of his death).
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