Henry Edmund Growcott (1894 - 1917)

Born 1894 in New Zealand

Ancestors

Died 31 May 1917 at about age 23 in Messines, Belgium

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Biography

Henry Edmund was born in 1894. He was the son of Ada and Charles Growcott ^[1] He passed away in 1917 age 23 ^[2]

Henry Edmund Growcott (SN 32162) was a grocer before enlistment in the Army during WW1, He embarked 15 Nov 1916 from Wellington, New Zealand arriving to Plymouth, Devon, England 30 January 1917 aboard HMNZT 68 the "Maunganui". Lance Corporal Growcott served with the 13th Reinforcements, 2nd Battalion, F Company of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade. He was Killed in Action, May 31 1917 at the Battle of Messines and is buried at St Quentin Cabaret Military Cemetery, Heuvelland, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium Grave reference II G. 11 . his name appears in the Hastings Memorial Roll of Honour for the 1914-19 War ^[3]>

The sad news was received yesterday that Private H E. Growcott. second son of Mr. and Mrs Charles Growcott, of Rimu, was killed in action in France on May 31st. Deceased enlisted with the Otago Infantry. He was about 24 years of age and was for some years employed by Mr. I. Ford, butcher. Kanieri. He was wellknown and highly respected throughout the district and the sympathy of the community will be extended to the bereaved relatives. ^[4]

Friends of the late Private Harry E. Growcott. late of Havelock North, have received a letter from his mate, stating how he met his death. A party of eight were out on patrol. The enemy's shell fire began to get fairly hot and shortly before Harry was to have finished his beat a shell fell in the trench he was in. He crouched to try and avoid it but received the full force of the explosion and was killed instantly. The writer goes on to say that he. himself, could wish for no better death than that, viz., '"Fighting for his country."' Private Growcott was very well known in Havelock, and his many friends will deplore his early death ^[5]

Sources

1. ↑ http://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
   • NZ Birth registration 1894/9085
2. ↑ http://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
   • NZ Death registration 1918/52585
3. ↑ Online Cenotaph, Auckland War Museum
4. ↑ Grey River Argus, 15 June 1917
5. ↑ Hastings Standard, Volume VII, Issue 236, 28 July 1917