Henry William WILKINS

   General Notes:

Addresses: 1911: 165 Forest Lane Forestgate 1913: 153 Field Road Forestgate 1915: 3 Devonshire Villas Garfield Road Chingford 1918: 139 Station Road Forest Gate Essex 1920: 382 Wainoni Rd, New Brighton, Christchurch 1950s Benares St, Khandallah, Wellington 1960s Masonic Village, Lower Hutt

Supposedly played Soccer for Aston Villa, a club in the West Midlands

Forest Gate is a hamlet lying to the north of Upton and the Romford road, at the edge of Wanstead Flats, the southern extremity of Epping Forest, to which this was the entrance (gate). Forest Gate, with Upton and part of East Ham parish, was made an ecclesiastical district in 1852: population 7127. At Forest Gate is a station on the Great Eastern Railway (main Colchester line). By it is the Eagle and Child, tea-gardens and holiday resort. Emmanuel district church is a neat little Gothic building at the corner of Upton Lane. In Woodgrange Road is the Pawnbrokers' Charitable Institute, a cheerful group of 5 almshouses. Here is the West Ham Cemetery. Also, in Cemetery Road, the Jews' Cemetery, in which is the stately mausoleum of the Rothschild family, erected, 1867, from the designs of Mr. Digby Wyatt.
[Handbook to The Environs of London : James Thorne 1876]

Occupations: 1911: Dairyman (Milkman) 1913: Insurance Agent 1915 Woolwich arsenal manufacturing artillery 1917 Soldier in artillery (Royal Garrison Artillary - which is the heavy artillary) Gunner No. 159142 238
Siege Battery Royal Garison Artillery 1919 Discharged from army 1920 Prison Warder at Paparoa, Christchurch 1920: Ammonia Maker, Christchurch Gasworks late 1940s Ammonia works, Wellington gasworks

Travelled to NZ via Panama Canal in 1920 by the Ionic

**************** WW1 History 1. 31st December 1915 Army Form 3194 Notice of attestation and transfer to the Army Reserve until required for service H.W. Wilkins 3 Devonshire Villas Garfield Road Chingford He spent 1 year and 142 days awaiting call up 2. Call up papers May 1917 Rank : Gunner No. 159142 238 Siege Battery Royal Garison Artillery Height: 5 ft 81/2 inches Eyes. Blue Hair. Dark Following 6 weeks training embarked troop ship at Dover to join Regiment in France. 3. OMHS Letter to Mrs MA Wilkins 139 Station Road Forest Gate Essex Army Form B104-80A Date 6th May 1918 Notification from his Commanding Officer that Granddad had been gassed with burns to his left leg and shoulder (Grandma would have had to wait for this as the form was originally sent to Devonshire Villas). near the end of the war during the Battle of The Somme, Mach 21st - April 25th The Germans who were retreating commenced an offensive and threw everything they could at the Allies (including mustard and chlorine gas) in order to delay their inevitable defeat. 4. He was admitted to the Australian General Hospital - Rouen France 25th April 1918 5. May 23rd 1918 admitted Queen Mary's Hospital Whalley Lancashire. 6. 13th March1919 discharged Sheerness Miliatary hospital Kent 7. Various War service medals awarded 8. Discharge certificate 14th March 1919 after serving one year 316 days with the Colours 9. Other forms relate to the Pension he received commencing with a Five Pound gratuity

Henry married Maud Amelia CLARK, daughter of George Applin CLARK and Henrietta E DONALD, on 20 Jul 1911 in West Ham, London, England.⁴⁵ (Maud Amelia CLARK was born on 20 Oct 1893 in Wandsworth, London, England ⁴⁶, died on 23 Feb 1980 in Upper Hutt, Wellington, New Zealand ⁴⁷ and was buried cremated 26 Feb 1980 in Wellington, New Zealand ⁴⁷.)