1/5th Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment
Henry James Fisher was born in Stroud on 23 March 1898 to Henry and Alice Fisher (née Tooze).
He enlisted at Gloucester on 12 September 1914, stating his age as 17 years and six months (he was actually a year younger), having previously been employed in the office of the Stroud Brewery. He served at home until 20 August 1917 when he was posted to join the 1/5th Glosters on the Western Front.
Henry was wounded near Broodseinde on 5 October 1917 when a piece of shrapnel penetrated his steel helmet above his forehead, penetrating his brain. However, the shrapnel was removed by a doctor at the 64th Casualty Clearing Station at Mendinghem. This had caused damage to his right eye and sight.
There was a report in the Stroud News dated 8 February 1918 stating that Henry was in hospital at Bristol: ‘suffering from wounds to the head and the loss of the sight of an eye’. It appears he was there from 21 December 1917. The report also stated that: ‘he has written a very cheery letter to his friend, Mr S D Watson of Lansdown, Stroud, and he hopes to be all right soon and back among us’.
Henry was discharged from the Army on 8 April 1918. He was entitled to wear one gold wound stripe and was awarded the British War Medal. His records state that he was: ‘Permanently excluded from liability to medical re-examination with the Military Service (Review of Exceptions Act 1917)’
Henry had served for three years and 206 days and was deemed as ‘being no longer physically fit for war service’. At some time he must have been moved to Eastleigh military hospital as there is a document from the records office in Warwick dated 13 February 1918, detailing personal items that were to be returned. These were a wallet, dictionary, letter, pens and nibs.
Henry never fully recovered from his injury and died in Stroud Hospital on 28 September 1918, age 20. There is a funeral report in the Stroud News which reports that Henry was given a funeral with full military honours. His grave in Stroud Old Cemetery is now marked with a CWGC headstone.