On the Thiepval Memorial  to the Missing of the Somme, France is the name of 19/1190 Corporal Fred Henderson serving with the 19th (Service) Battalion Durham Light Infantry who died 27/02/1917.

Peter Wise and Brenda McMahon have submitted the following:-

Fred was born at Barnard Castle in 1895 the son of Thomas and Mary Ann (nee Hall). The couple married at Leeds in 1887 and went on to have 9 children together although 3 died.

In 1901 the family lived at 21 Baliol Street. Father Thomas was a flax dresser (linen) with mother, Mary, tending the home. Fred also had 3 sisters at that time – Florence, Evelyn and Kate.

By 1911 family life was much as before except two new brothers had been added to the family, Thomas and James.

After leaving school in 1912 Fred was employed in Streatlam Estate Office.

He enlisted into the army at Barnard Castle in June 1915 before proceeding to Hartlepool.

He was promoted to the rank of Corporal.

Fred died at the front on 27th February 1917.

The following report was printed in the Teesdale Mercury 28/03/1917.
He was serving at the front with the quartermaster’s staff some miles behind the line when the group went to spend the night in a room where they had placed their stores and apparently had gone to sleep with a charcoal fire still burning. Next morning when they did not appear at the usual time, access had to be gained by breaking down the door. Fred had suffocated and did not respond to artificial respiration which was tried for 3 hours in case he might recover but unfortunately there was no result. His 3 comrades were found in a state of extreme collapse.

Fred Henderson is remembered in Barnard Castle on B135.02, B135.04, B135.20, B135.23 and B135.25, also at Durham in the D.L.I. Book of Remembrance, page 38.