HEAD Henry D’Esterre

Henry Head was born in 1895.  He attended Bromsgrove School from 1910 to 1913.  He was a School Monitor, played for the XV and XI (Captain) and was a Sergeant in the OTC. Passing into Sandhurst in January 1914, he quickly distinguished himself there as an athlete, winning both the half and quarter mile against Woolwich and obtaining his “blue”. He was appointed to the Royal Dublin Fusiliers and went to France.  The end came to him in the foul poisoning of gas.  He died in the clearing station Bayeux.

Source: Bromsgrove School at War 1914-19 by Philip Bowen and Bromsgrove School at War 1914-19 by David Cross.

Bond of Sacrifice
Lieutenant Henry D’Esterre Head, 2nd Battn. The Royal Dublin Fusiliers, eldest son of D’Esterre Prittie Head, M.I.C.E., of the South African Railways, Ashowe, Zululand, was born at Heidelberg, Transvaal, on the 20th March, 1895. He was a great-grandson of the late Dean Head and a grandson of the Rev. Jonathan Head and of Annie Shakespear, and related to General George Shakespear and the late Colonel Henry Shakespear. He was educated at Monkstown Park School, Co. Dublin, and at Bromsgrove, where he distinguished himself in athletics, being Victor Ludorum, and winning the cup for the School sports. As cricket Captain, as mainstay of the Football XV, as foremost athlete, and a School Monitor, he took a large place in the hearts of his contemporaries. He passed into the R.M.C., Sandhurst, in January, 1914, and quickly distinguished himself there as an athlete, winning both the half and quarter-mile against Woolwich, and obtaining his Blue.

Lieutenant Head received his commission in the Royal Dublin Fusiliers on 1st October, 1914, and went to France from Cork in the following month. He was promoted Lieutenant in April, 1915. Towards the end of May, while he was in the trenches, near Ypres, the Germans attacked with poisonous gas. Lieutenant Head, overcome with the fumes, was taken to a clearing hospital at Bailleul, and after lingering a week, he died there on 1st June 1915. He was buried in a corner of the cemetery at Bailleul.  (Photo of Lt Head in the book.)