Henry was born on 22nd February 1882 in Woodbridge, Suffolk. At nineteen, he worked as a grocer’s assistant and on 8th October 1907, he married Elizabeth Jane Nichols of Alderton, Suffolk. By 1911, they were living at The Stores in Bawdsey, Suffolk, with their daughter, Ella Alice. Henry was conscripted to serve, enlisting on 17th May 1916. He was immediately put into the Army Reserve.

On 14th May the following year, Henry was mobilised and sent to Isleworth in London to join the Army Service Corps. Here, he was trained to drive a lorry, passing his test on 29th June 1917. Later that year, on 9th September, he was posted to France, boarding the SS Huntsland in Portsmouth and arriving in Boulogne two days later. Henry initially joined the 349 Section Heavy Artillery Motor Section, attached to 432 Siege Battery, then to 7th Auxiliary Steam Company that drove steam-powered lorries.

Throughout 1918, Henry was transferred on an almost monthly basis to different Motor Sections until November 1918, when he joined 884 Motor Company, with whom he remained until he was demobilised in August 1919. For his war service, he received the British War and Victory Medals.

In 1939, Henry and his family had moved to Alderton where he was the sub-postmaster and grocer. He died in 1950 aged sixty-eight.