Henry Lindsay

Henry was born in 1890 at Radcliffe to Joseph, a master wheelwright, and Frances Lindsay of Bolton. He was educated at Pike’s Lane Community School and Bolton Grammar School, the latter on a Lever Scholarship. He worked as a teacher at Chalfont Street School for two years before entering Manchester University in 1908. He gained a Bachelor of Arts and a Teaching Certificate in 1911, and a Master of Arts in 1912 and became an english teacher at Wald Academy, Anstruther, Fifeshire.

A member of the University Officer Training Corps from October 1908 to August 1914 Henry obtained his A and B Certificates and completed his training with the 7th Battalion Black Watch in Scotland. He was away at camp on Sailsbury Plain when war broke out and immediately offered his services joining The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment in September 1914. He was at the front by May 1915 and took part in operations at Festubert. His unit was being bombed from three sides when he volunteered to take a message back over exposed ground. For this action he was awarded a Military Cross and was mentioned in despatches. He was promoted to lieutenant on 17th July 1915 and captain on 10th October that year. On 8th August 1916 his company was sent forward to hold the line at Trones Wood, near Guillemont on the Somme, but they were bombed and machine gunned out of it by the Germans. While they were moving back Henry was shot in the head and died instantly.