Have You a Tiger In Your Family?

Rank : 2nd Lieutenant

Army Number : 2708 and 390555

Unit : 2/4th Bn, 1/5th Bn

Biography :

Henry Quint began his military service as a Rifleman in 9th Bn The London Regiment on 2.9.1914. Promoted LCpl on 2.9.1915, LSgt on 20.5.1916 and Sgt on 6.4.1917, he served in England until 2.2.1917 and then in France in 2/9th Bn until 19.6.1917 when he returned to England and began officer training in No. 21 Officer Cadet Battalion at Fleet, Hants. He was commissioned into The Gloucestershire Regiment (3rd Bn) on 21.12.1917 and later served in 2/4th Bn The Leicestershire Regiment, transferring to its 1/5th Bn on 8.6.1918. He was Killed in Action at Pontruet, France, on 24.9.1918, aged 25. He is buried at Cerisy-Gailly Military Cemetery, Somme, France.
There is a paper file on him in The National Archives (File Ref WO 374/55873).

Captain J.D. Hills in his history of ‘Fifth Leicestershires: A record of the 1/5th Battalion the Leicestershire Regiment, T.F., during the War, 1914-1919’ published in 1929 describes an advance on the village of Pontruet during the last hundred days of the war. He records the exact circumstances of Henry Quint’s loss.
“The Company’s heaviest losses were on the Southern or upper side of the village. For, in the S.W. corner, the Germans had two lengths of well defended trench, supported by a block house, and against these 2nd Lieuts Aster and Quint and Corporal Tyers led their men. The two officers were killed almost together at the second trench, but the corporal broke clean through, only to be shot through the head when almost outside the village. Seven others of this same gallant party were killed at this corner, and the remainder, unable to deal with the blockhouse, fought their way through to the main part of the Company.”
J. D. Hills concludes his narrative in the following way:
"The following day the Battalion received this message from General Boyd:—
“Please congratulate Lieut.-Colonel Griffiths and the 1/5th Bn. Leicestershire Regiment on the good fight they put up yesterday, and tell them I am quite satisfied. They captured many prisoners and accounted for numbers of the enemy. Owing to unexpected reinforcements they attacked an enemy twice as strong as themselves, and moreover in a strong position. Although we did not reach our objective, the enemy was prevented from reinforcing the troops opposed to the Division on our right.”
(sd.) G.F. BOYD, Major-General.
"We had lost one Company Commander and three subalterns killed, one Company Commander and six subalterns wounded. Of the rank and file, thirty were killed, of whom three were Serjeants, one hundred were wounded, and eight were missing. But we had proved that five platoons could clear a village held by three Battalions (so said one of the prisoners) of the enemy."

Date of Birth : Jan 1893

Place of Birth : Shoreditch, London

Date of Death : 24.9.1918

Place of Death : Pontruet, France

Civil Occupation : Master tailor

Period of Service : 1917-18

Conflicts : WW1

Places Served : France