40445, Private, Henry Arthur PLUMMER
Aged 29
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Born in 1889 in Ocean Port, New York, U.S.A. He is recorded as a Britsh subject by parentage.
1891 census...Not found in the census. 1901 census...Henry [12] was at Victory Lane, Icewell Hill, Newmarket , a boarder with Robert and Fanny Joby. Henry married Lottie Eliza SWANN in Newmarket in Q1-1910. 1911 census... Henry [22] was a billiard marker, living at 12 Wellington Square, Newmarket, with his wife Lottie[21] born Newmarket 914-8-1892), and their daughter Florence Queenie born Dullingham on 28-6-1910). They went on to have two sons, Henry Arthur (8-10-1911) and Ernest Charles (7-3-1915) |
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His death occurred near Armentieres, a defensive action on the River Lys. Early on the 9th April 1918 the 11th Suffolks were not in the front line, 101st Brigade was in Divisional reserve with the Cambridgeshire men billeted in and around La Rolanderie Farm. The following description of the start of the assault is taken from Lieut.Colonel J. Shakespeare's "The History of the Thirty Fourth Division 1915-1919": "After a quiet day and night, at four fifteen a.m. on the 9th April, the Boche guns to the South of our position spoke in an unmistakeable manner. The volume of sound was so great that it could only portend an attack on a considerable scale, and as the hours passed and there was no cessation to the din, we all realised that yet another "day" had arrived and all units and parties "stood to". The bombardment did not effect our front line, but our back areas got more than usual shelling. ... at 8:05 a.m. the 101st Brigade was ordered to stand to ... at 9 a.m. General Nicholson heard from the 40th Division that the enemy were in the front line on their right flank. An hour later came an order for the 101st Brigade to march to the south of Bac St Mar, and to act on the orders of 40th Division, as the Portugese front had broken ... the orders did not reach 101st Brigade HQ until 11:20 a.m. ... Bac St Mar was found to be in the hands of the enemy and the Brigade took up a defensive position near Fort Rompu ." The 11th Suffolks found themselves fighting alongside their sister regiment (12th Suffolks)and the ensuing action is described in the Suffolk Regiment - Official History: "Thus the first troops of the 34th Division to enter the general engagement were those who, almost up to that very moment, had formed the corps reserve, a rare tactical anomaly. Terrific fighting followed. On the 10th April the 11th Suffolks, having formed a defensive flank, beat off attack after attack. Twice the Germans broke through, but on one occasion the breach was closed by Captain Rodwell and his company, assisted by Major Wright. At 3:20 p.m. on the 10th Lieut.-Colonel Tuck received orders to withdraw behind the Lys. CGWC have his date of death as 19th, but he was missing from 9th. On the 9th the 11th Suffolks had 63 killed and the 12th had 9, of these just four have known graves, the rest are commemorated on the Ploegsteert Memorial |
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