| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
Paul Henry Fenby, known as Harry, was born in Beverley 18 Apr 1888. He was the sixth of eleven children born to Foster Fenby and his wife Cecilia. In the late 1870s, Harry's parents moved to Beverley where his father, previously a farm worker, found employment as a tanner's labourer. When Paul was baptised at Beverley Minster on 5 Oct 1890, the family lived in Keldgate. They lived at various addresses in Beverley before settling at 28 Cherry Tree Lane.
Harry worked for the East Riding County Council as an asylum attendant at Broadgate Hospital. He spent two years as a Territorial with the 2nd Volunteer Battalion East Yorkshires before attesting as 1651 Private Harry Fenby in the 5th Battalion, Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regiment on 5 May 1914. An item in the Beverley and East Riding Recorder of 31 Oct 1914 states he joined the Regiment as a cyclist. His soldiering days with the 5th Yorkshires were short-lived, however. Following a medical examination he was discharged at Newcastle on 7 Dec 1914 as 'not likely to become an efficient soldier', the reason stated being 'Pes Planus' - or flat feet. Harry subsequently enlisted in the Royal Army Medical Corps on 3 Jul 1915 and embarked for France on 25 Oct 1915, where he served with the Corps as a stretcher-bearer.
Harry became a casualty during the Second German Offensive in the spring of 1918. The Beverley Guardian of 27 Apr 1918 reported Private Harry Fenby had been badly gassed, with his eyesight and speech being affected, and that he was recovering in hospital in Warrington. A second set of of papers show he transferred to the Royal Air Force as 301862 Private Harry Fenby and that he transferred to 'G' Reserve on 4 Mar 1919. He was awarded the 1914-1915 Star, British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
Following demobilisation Harry returned to his civilian job as an asylum attendant. He married Emmaline Elsie Ward (known as Emmy) on 8 May 1926 at St Leonards Church, Wigginton, Staffordshire. At the time of the 1939 Registration, Harry Fenby and Emmaline were living in Nuneaton, Warwickshire. Henry Fenby died on 8 November 1957 at 46 Norwood Far Grove, Beverley. He was aged 69. His body was cremated at Hull, following a funeral service in St Mary's Church, Beverley
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |