Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Richard Tryon, living from his Sheriff’s income from land and houses, born in the July quarter of 1837 in Bulwick Park, Northamptonshire and baptised on the 26th September 1837 in the Church of St. Nicholas, Bulwick (son of Thomas Tryon, 1802-1872 and Anne Trollope, 1799-1877) and his wife Jane Anna Lucy Tryon (nee Johnson (formerly Ewart) married in the April quarter of 1867 in the Oundle, Northamptonshire district), born 1838 in Dowsby, Lincolnshire and baptised on the 2nd December 1838 in St. Andrew’s Church, Witham on the Hill, Lincolnshire (daughter of William Augustus Johnson, 1778 and Lucy Foster, 1798). Henry, a schoolboy, was born in the October quarter of 1874 in Oakham, Rutland and was baptised on the 12th October 1874 in All Saint’s Church, Oakham, his siblings were, Mary Lucy, a schoolgirl, born in the October quarter of 1870 and baptised on the 16th June 1870 in the Church of St. Michael & All Saint’s, Loddington, Leicestershire, Jane Matilda, a schoolgirl, born in the October quarter of 1872 and baptised on the 15th October 1872 in the Church of St. Michael & All Saint’s, Loddington, the latter two siblings were both born in Loddington, Georgina Catherine, a schoolgirl, born in the October quarter of 1875 and baptised on the 2nd October 1875 in All Saint’s Church, Oakham, Julian, a schoolboy, born in the October quarter of 1876 and baptised on the 6th November 1876 in All Saint’s Church, Oakham and Margaret Constance, born in the July quarter of 1878 and baptised on the 25th July 1878 in All Saint’s Church, Oakham, the latter three siblings were all born in Oakham, in April 1881 the family home was at The Lodge, Burley Road, Oakham. In April 1891 Henry was a schoolboy and was residing in the family home at The Lodge, Burley Road, Oakham together with his father, a magistrate, living on his own means, his mother and siblings, Jane, Georgina, a schoolgirl, Julian, a schoolboy and Margaret, a schoolgirl. In March 1901 Henry was employed as an electrical engineer and was residing as a boarder at 50, Mildmay Road, Chelmsford, Essex. Henry also had an older sibling Richard, who was born on the 17th May 1868 in Loddington and was baptised on the 17th May 1868 in the Church of St. Michael & All Saint’s, Loddington. Richard fell in action on the 10th January 1915.
FAMILY NOTE: Henry’s mother had previously married John William Cheney Ewart on the 15th March 1859 in St. Andrew’s Church, Witham on the Hill, John was born in 1833 in St. Marylebone, Middlesex and was baptised on the 16th December 1834 in the Parish Church, St. Marylebone, after marriage they resided in the family home at Loddington Hall, High Street, Loddington. John died at Castle Gate House, Grantham, Lincolnshire on the 16th January 1865, aged 28 years and was interred on the 21st January 1865 in St. Mary’s Churchyard, Ashby Folville, Leicestershire.
Henry’s Army enlistment documents were not researched, and as such all that is known of his military service is that he was commissioned into The Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort’s Own) in December 1914 and was posted as a 2nd Lieutenant to the 7th Battalion of that Regiment, later transferred to the 15th Battalion, first entering the theatre of war in France prior to the 15th November 1915. At the time of his death, he was attached to the 8th Battalion of his Regiment. He was awarded the 1914-15 STAR, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
The War Diary records: 15 Sept-16 – DELVILLE WOOD. 1.30am. Battalion Headquarters moved to BROWN TRENCH. “A” Company suffer some casualties from own gas shells. Fairly quiet night. Intense bombardment at zero 6.20am. Battalion moves forward under barrage. Very few casualties for 150 yards. Heavy losses in next 200 yards. Many Germans in PINT TRENCH. PINT TRENCH captured. Battalion reaches its objective SWITCH TRENCH with no officers. Dug-outs bombed. Some prisoners taken. 2 Machine Guns captured, 1 blown up. Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel STEWART and Adjutant L’W A. CREBBIN move up to SWITCH TRENCH. Consolidation started. Connection established with 8th KING’S ROYAL RIFLE CORPS on left and GUARDS on right. Remainder of Brigade and whole of 42nd Brigade pass over SWITCH TRENCH and take their objectives further forward. 10.30am Commanding Officer wounded by shrapnel. 1.00pm Major SHEEPSHANKS, Lieutenant WENHAM, 2nd Lieutenant ABBEY reach SWITCH TRENCH, Commanding Officer leaves. Major SHEEPSHANKS takes over temporary command. 2.30pm. 2nd Lieutenant BALDOCK arrives. Consolidation and re-sorting of units. 8.30pm. Major X. R. A. DE LA CHAPELLE arrives and takes over command. Strength of Battalion in trench 6 Officers and Medical Officer and 160 Other Ranks. A great shortage of Stretcher Bearers.
Officer Casualties.
Killed in action 15.9.16.
Captain E. F. PRIOR. Captain W. C. F. V. BARKER-MILL. Captain H. TRYON. 2nd Lieutenant A. D. MACNAUGHTEN. 2nd Lieutenant D. S. ASHFORTH. 2nd Lieutenant V. R. G. BIDDULPH.
Died of Wounds. 15.9.16.
Lieutenant E. P. MATTHEWS.
Wounded in action 15.9.16.
Lieutenant Colonel W. R. STEWART. 2nd Lieutenant R. H. F. DEVEREUX. 2nd Lieutenant E. L. VICKERS. 2nd Lieutenant W. J. WARD. 2nd Lieutenant S. H. GROOM.
Wounded remained at duty 15.9.16.
Lieutenant F. J. STRACHAN, ROYAL ARMY MEDICAL CORPS.
Extract taken from The Rifle Brigade Chronicle, Roll of Honour, page 186
CAPTAIN (TEMP.) H. TRYON.
HENRY TRYON was the second son of the late Captain Richard Tryon of The Lodge, Oakham, who served in the Regiment from 1854 to 1867, who died in 1905 and of Mrs. Richard Tryon of 70, Eaton Place, S.W. He was born 24 August 1869 and was farming in British Columbia when the War broke out. He was given a commission in the 7th (Service) Battalion of the Regiment in December 1914 and was transferred as Captain to another Service Battalion in August 1915. He was killed on 16 September 1916 at the Battle of Loos.
Captain Tryon came from a well-known fighting family. His father’s eldest brother was the Lieutenant Henry Tryon of the 1st Battalion who fell so gallantly in the famous attack on the Russian Rifle Pits on the night of 20 November 1854. Another brother of his father was Vice-Admiral Sir George Tryon who was lost with his Flagship H.M.S. Victoria, in 1893. His own elder brother, Captain Richard Tryon served in the Regiment 1891 to 1895 and, coming back to it at the beginning of the War, was killed in action on 10 January 1915, in France.
An extract reproduced from the 1920 publication Rutland and the Great War, compiled by the late G. Phillips.
He was the son of the late Captain Richard Tryon of the Lodge, Oakham, Rutland.
At the time of the outbreak of war Henry was farming in Canada, he let his farm and returned home at once and began training in Major G. Tryon’s Grenadier Guards’ school of instruction at Chelsea Barracks. He was given a commission as a Lieutenant in the 15th Battalion of the Rifle Brigade on the 1st December 1914, and commenced training with them until the 7th August 1915 when he embarked for France and was posted to the 8th Battalion Rifle Brigade which at the time formed part of the 14th Division and was then holding the Ypres salient. On the night of the 23rd November, he was out on patrol with three men, and one of the men was hit and had to be assisted back by another of the party. A little later he was shot through the neck, Corporal Alfred Drake who was with him bound up the wound regardless of the enemy’s fire. Later a rescue party crawling near the German lines found him and Corporal Drake, Henry was unconscious but alive and bandaged however the Corporal was beside him dead and riddled with bullets. He had given his own life and saved that of his officer. The Victoria Cross was awarded to Corporal Drake. Of the rescue party Lieutenant Gorell Barnes received the Distinguished Service Order, Lieutenant Backus the Military Cross, and the two men Rifleman J. E. Beazley and Rifleman W. Hobday the Distinguished Conduct Medal for their bravery and devotion on this occasion. Henry recovered from his wound and returned to light duties again in France on the 26th July 1916. He was promoted to Captain in September and took part in the fighting on the Somme. It was here that tanks made their first appearance in the war. On the 15th September 1916, the 15th Division to which the 8th Battalion Rifle Brigade was attached advanced to the attack at 6.20am. from Delville Wood, and they won their final objective. The trophies on this occasion amounted to 13 machine guns, 3 field guns, 3 heavy howitzers, and about 700 prisoners. But the loss was a terrible one, for only 150 men were left out of 600 who started that morning, and later those 150 were found to have taken the trench alone, and were holding it in the face of the enemy. Of their 12 officers Henry and 8 others were killed and 3 were wounded. His Colonel wrote: - “It was owing to the way Captain Tryon led his men and the glorious example set by him that they went on after he fell and accomplished what they did that day.” Henry was a nephew of Lieutenant Henry Tryon, who fell so gloriously in the attack of the Russian advanced post before Sebastopol on the night of November 20th. 1854. and also a nephew of Vice Admiral Sir George Tryon. His elder brother Richard also fell.
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