Henry “Harry” Wallis

Private Henry “Harry” Wallis – Welsh Regiment, 18^th Battalion

Early Life

John Wallis and Ellen Louisa Norring
marriage certificate
St Giles in the Fields, Holborn, St Giles High Street, Camden

Henry “Harry” Wallis was born in 1897 in Walthamstow, Essex, the son of John Wallis and Ellen Louisa Norring, who were married in 1883 at St Giles in the Fields, Holborn, in the parish of St Giles High Street, Camden.

1901 Census

According to the 1901 Census, the Wallis family lived at 60 Borwick Avenue, Walthamstow. John, aged 39 and born in Marylebone, was employed as a Warehouseman, while his wife Ellen, also aged 39 and born in Bloomsbury, managed the household. Their children at that time were Ellen M. V., aged 13; John H., aged 8; Henry, aged 4; and Ernest, aged 1.

Family

Entry from Swansea Prison Records

Between 1901 and 1911, the Wallis family moved from Essex to Swansea. Records show that John Wallis served a 21-day sentence in Swansea Prison in September 1909, having been found guilty of debt — a not uncommon hardship at the time, reflecting the financial struggles faced by many working-class families in the early 20th century.

1911 Census

By the time of the 1911 Census, the family was living at 3 Tintern Terrace, Swansea. John, aged 49, was working as a Traveller and Paper News Agent, while Ellen, aged 50, kept the home. Their children living with them were Ellen Maude Violona, aged 23, employed as a Bookkeeper; John William, aged 18, a Mason’s Labourer; Henry, aged 14, working as a Newsboy; and the two youngest sons, Emil, aged 11, and Llewellyn, aged 8, both of whom attended school.

Military Service

Henry, known to his family as Harry, enlisted as a Private in the Welsh Regiment, serving with the 18^th Battalion. The battalion, part of the 119^th Brigade, 40^th Division, was raised in South Wales in 1915 and sent to France the following year. It served in the Loos sector, an area of continuous front-line activity where trench warfare was brutal and unrelenting.

In October 1916, the 18^th Battalion was stationed near Noeux-les-Mines and Loos-en-Gohelle, north of the main Somme battlefield. Although the major phase of the Battle of the Somme was still underway further south, the Welsh Regiment was engaged in diversionary and holding operations designed to prevent German reinforcements from moving to that front. These operations subjected the men to heavy artillery bombardments, trench raids, and the exhausting conditions of a static front as winter approached.

Death

Army Register Soldiers' Effects 

Private Henry “Harry” Wallis was killed in action on 9^th October 1916, during one of these front-line engagements in the Loos sector. He was only 19 years old. While the exact details of his death are not recorded, it is likely he fell during shellfire or small-scale trench fighting — the constant dangers that claimed countless lives during the long stalemate of the Western Front.

Burial

Harry was laid to rest at Maroc British Cemetery, near Grenay, France. The cemetery was established in August 1915 and used by field ambulances and front-line units serving in the Loos and Noeux-les-Mines area. His grave is maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, ensuring his memory is preserved among his fallen comrades.

Legacy

On the St. Paul’s Church War Memorial, Sketty, his name appears as “Harry Wallis”, the name by which he was known to his family and friends. His story reflects that of many young men from ordinary working families who left home to serve in the Great War. From Walthamstow to Swansea, his journey — and his sacrifice at just nineteen years of age — stands as a lasting testament to courage, service, and remembrance.