Henry Francis Rush was born on 10 September 1886, a son of Daniel William Rush and Emma Rebecca Rush née Wood. His birth was registered in the 4th quarter of 1886 in the Bethnal Green Registration District, Middlesex (now Greater London). On 3 October 1886 he was baptised at St James the Great Church, Bethnal Green Road, Bethnal Green, where the baptismal register records his date of birth, that his family lived at 38 Harts Lane (later renamed Barnet Grove), Bethnal Green and that his father was a cab driver.
Having served for a period of time in the 5th Battalion, Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex Regiment), which was a volunteer or militia part of the regiment, on 17 August 1905 he enlisted as a full-time Private in the regiment, service number 10412, for a period of 9 years plus 3 years in the Reserves, giving his occupation as a glazier. He was initially posted on 6 October 1905 to the Regiment's 4th Battalion, serving in Dublin and Londonderry. On 27 October 1906 he was transferred to the 3rd Battalion and served in Hong Kong, Singapore and at Bombay, India.
In the 1911 census he was shown as a Private soldier, aged 25 years on the return listing those serving in C and D Companies in the 3rd Battalion of the Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex Regiment) in the Lebong Cantonment, West Bengal, India.
Having been discharged at the end of his service he obtained a position in the Post Office as a porter.
On 5 April 1914 he married Gertrude Cicely Southcott (1894-1964) at St Peter's Church, Northchurch Terrace, West Hackney, London, where in the marriage register he is shown as aged 27 years, a bachelor and a porter living at 81 De Beauvoir Road, London, N1, the son of Daniel William Rush, a deceased cab driver, whilst his wife was shown as aged 19 years and a spinster also residing at 81 De Beauvoir Road, the daughter of James Charles Southcott, a cabinet maker.
On the outbreak of World War One he was mobilised on 5 August 1914 as a Private and was promoted to Lance Corporal three days later on 8 August 1914. He entered France on 27 August 1914 serving in the Regiment's 1st Battalion when he was killed in action, aged 28 years, on 30 October 1914 and his body was buried in a grave near where he fell.
On 16 March 1915 his army effects totalling £4-10s-4d were sent to his widow and she was also sent his £5-0s-0d war gratuity on 26 June 1919. On 20 July 1920 his body was exhumed and in the Rue-David Military Cemetery, 19 Rue David, 62840 Fleurbaix, France.
He was posthumously awarded the 1914 Star with the '5th Aug-22nd Nov' clasp, the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal.
He is shown 'RUSH, H.F.' on the Western Postal District war memorial in Mount Pleasant, London, WC1. He is also commemorated on the , on the , on the , on the , on the and on .
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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