Harry “Henry James” Isaac

Lance Corporal Harry “Henry James” Isaac – King’s Royal Rifle Corps, 16^th Battalion

Early Life

Harry Isaac was born in 1897, the eldest son of James Isaac and Elizabeth Worth, who married in 1896.

1901 Census

The 1901 Census records the family living at Park Place, Sketty. James, aged 33, was employed as a stationary pumping engine driver at the docks, while Elizabeth, born in Torquay, was 30. Their two sons were Harry (4) and Arthur (3).

1911 Census

By the 1911 Census, the family had moved to 47 Ty Cock Road, Sketty. James, then 43, was still working as a stationary engine driver, and Elizabeth was 40. The children at home were Harry (14), employed as a shipping office clerk; Arthur Edward (13), still at school; and baby Winifred (11 months).

Military Service

What’s in a Name?
Although remembered locally as Harry Isaac, he enlisted in the army under the name Henry James Isaac, joining the King’s Royal Rifle Corps, 16^th Battalion.

The 16^th Battalion was raised in 1915 as part of Kitchener’s New Army and assigned to the 33^rd Division. In November 1915, the battalion landed in France, where it took up positions along the Western Front. During these early months, the battalion was engaged mainly in trench warfare, holding the line, carrying out patrols and small raids, and enduring constant artillery and sniper fire rather than taking part in large-scale attacks.

Harry rose to the rank of Lance Corporal during his service with the battalion.

Death

Lance Corporal Henry James Isaac died on 2^nd January 1916, aged just 18.

At the time, the 16^th Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps was holding trenches in the Loos sector, an area of intense fighting since the Battle of Loos in September 1915. Through the winter of 1915–1916, the sector was characterised not by major offensives but by grinding routine: trench holding, patrols, wiring parties, and constant shelling and sniper activity. The freezing conditions, waterlogged trenches, and the ever-present risk of sudden bombardment or trench raids made daily survival precarious.

It was in these harsh conditions that Harry lost his life. His death reflects the reality that even in periods without major battles, the Western Front claimed a steady toll of young lives through exposure, disease, and the ceaseless attrition of trench warfare.

Burial

Henry James Isaac
Woburn Abbey Cemetery
credit - findagrave

Harry was laid to rest at Woburn Abbey Cemetery, Cuinchy, in northern France. The cemetery was established in 1915 near the front lines and used by front-line units and field ambulances. It contains burials from 1914–1918, many of them riflemen and soldiers who, like Harry, served in the trenches of the Loos sector.

Legacy

Though he served and died under the name Henry James Isaac, the memorial at St Paul’s Church, Sketty, preserves the name by which he was known to family and community: Harry. His service with the King’s Royal Rifle Corps, 16^th Battalion, and his sacrifice at such a young age are honoured both in France, where he lies, and in Sketty, where his name endures among those remembered for giving their lives in the Great War.

The story of Harry also highlights how names were recorded differently in military records, local documents, and on memorials. Many young men enlisted under formal versions of their names but were remembered by family and community in more familiar terms. In Harry’s case, “Henry James” in the army and “Harry” at home ensure that both the soldier and the son are remembered.