Henry Daniel Aldred was born in Penge, Kent (now Greater London) the youngest of the five children of George Henry Aldred (1859-1930) and Caroline Aldred née Perry (1859-1913). His birth was registered in 1st quarter of 1897 in the Bromley registration district, Kent (now Greater London). On 10 January 1897 he was baptised in Holy Trinity Church, Penge.
In the 1901 census he is shown as aged 4 years, living at 15 Tennyson Road, Laurie Park, Beckenham, Kent (now Greater London), with his parents and four siblings: Bertha Emily Aldred (b.1885), Maud Mary Aldred (1887-1954), Annie Caroline Aldred (b.1889) and George Charles Aldred (b.1891). His father was described as a bricklayer.
The 1911 census shows him as a 14-year-old printer's boy, living in an 8 room property at 43 Oakfield Road, Penge, SE London, with his parents and his four siblings. His father was described as a bricklayer, his mother as a laundress, his sister Bertha was a hairdresser's assistant and his brother George was a general labourer.
He married Eva Maud Tuesday (b.1899) in the 2nd quarter of 1915 in the Lewisham registration district, London and they had one child, Dorothy May Aldred who was born on 22 August 1917.
In May 1915 he enlisted in Hornchurch, Essex (now Greater London), as a Private in the 23rd (Service) Battalion (1st Sportsman's), Royal Fusiliers, service number SPTS/1732 and entered France on 16 November 1915. He was killed in action, aged 20 years, on 10 March 1917 and as he has no known grave he is commemorated on Pier and Face 8C, 9A and 16A of the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing, Rue de l'Ancre, 80300 Thiepval, France.
On 22 August 1917 his widow was sent his army effects totalling £2-11s-2d and on 22 October 1919 she was sent his £8-10s-0d war gratuity to her address at 84 Risdale Road, Anerley, Kent (now Greater London). He was posthumously awarded the 1914-1915 Star, the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal.
He is shown as H. D. Aldred on the Penge war memorial. He is also commemorated on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website, on the Imperial War Museum's Lives of the First World War website and on the London WW1 Memorial website which describes the action in which he died.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
