Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Walter Davenport, a farm labourer, born in the April quarter of 1860 in Harborough Magna, Warwickshire and baptised on the 22nd June 1862 in All Saint’s Church, Harborough Magna (son of William Davenport, 1833-1916 and Sophia Wright, 1831-1897) and his wife Annie Davenport (nee Farmer, married on the 19th December 1882 in the Church of St. Editha, Monks Kirby, Warwickshire), born in the April quarter of 1863 in Walsgrave on Sowe, Warwickshire (daughter of William Farmer and Martha Hands. Herbert Henry was born on the 22nd April 1889 in Pailton, Warwickshire and baptised on the 9th June 1889 in the Church of St. Editha, Monks Kirby, his siblings were, Ernest William, born in the October quarter of 1884 and baptised on the 11th October 1885 in the Church of St. Michael & All Angels, Brownsover, Warwickshire, Ada Mary, born on the 25th March 1887 and baptised on the 15th May 1887 in the Church of St. Editha, Monks Kirby and Dennis Walter, born in the April quarter of 1891 and baptised on the 29th May 1891 in the Church of St. Editha, Monks Kirby, all his siblings were born in Pailton, also residing with the family was Herbert’s maternal grandmother, Martha Farmer, born 1820 in Warwickshire., in April 1891 the family home was at Coventry Road, Pailton, Warwickshire. In March 1901 Herbert was residing in the family home at Monks Kirby, together with his father a farm stockman, his mother and siblings, Ernest, a farm wagoner, Dennis and Jessie Sophia, born on the 2nd October 1892 in Warwickshire and baptised on the 20th November 1892 in the Church of St. Editha, Monks Kirby. In April 1911 Herbert was employed as a bricklayer’s labourer and was residing in the family home at Higham on the Hill, Leicestershire, together with his father, a farm wagoner, his mother and siblings, Ernest, a farm cowman and Dennis, a cotton spinning trade worker, also residing with the family was Herbert’s nephew, Joseph Davenport, a schoolboy, born in the January quarter of 1904 in Lutterworth, Leicestershire.
Herbert’s army service enlistment documents do not survive, therefore the currently available information pertaining to his military service has been obtained from the following sources: - 1921 HMSO Publication, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914 - 1919, WW1 Service Medal and Award Rolls, Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, WW1 Medal Rolls Index Cards, WW1 Pension Ledgers and Index Cards and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Registers.
Enlisted/Attested in Rugby, Warwickshire into the Regular Army. Date not known.
Joined. At. Place and date not known.
Posted. To Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. Pte. Date not known.
Allotted the Regimental Service number 10608.
Posted. To 5th (Service) Bn. Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. Pte. Date not known.
Departed. From Aldershot 4.20 – 4.40pm. 20/5/15.
Embarked. From Folkestone per Packet Steamer 9.30pm. 20/5/15.
Disembarked. At Boulogne 10.30pm. 20/5/15.
Went into Rest Camp OSTROVE. 20/5/15.
Killed in action. In the Field. 22/6/15.
Body not recovered. Commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, West Vlaanderen, Belgium.
Awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
In the event of his death, Herbert nominated his mother Annie, as his sole legatee.
On the 25th August 1917, Herbert’s mother Annie, of Lindley Lodge Cottage, Nuneaton, was awarded a weekly Army Dependant’s Pension of five shillings commensurate on the 4th April 1917, this was later transferred to Herbert’s father Walter, of Station Road, Stoke Golding, Leicestershire.
A Pension award was also made to Mrs. Ellen May Izzard, of Grandborough, near Rugby, Warwickshire, the guardian of an illegitimate child.
The War Diary records: 22 Jun-15 – Received orders to capture enemy redoubt opposite C.5 tonight. Assault was not successful: see orders, report on attack, and plan of trenches attacked.
Casualties. Killed. Other Ranks 10. Wounded. Lieutenant J. M. H. JACKSON. Other Ranks 52. Missing believed killed. 2nd Lieutenant I. T. DAVIES. Other Ranks 9.
After assault, assaulting columns retired to their trenches; enemy made no attempt to counter-attack.
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