My great uncle, Henry Taylor (alwyas known as Jack) D’Hooghe was killed in action at Ovillers.
Henry, always known as Jack, was born in 1893 to Kate Clara and Thomas Henry D’Hooghe, my great-grandparents.
As was the way with large late Victorian families, he had two brothers, Philip James (my grandfather) and Leonard, and five sisters, one of whom died in infancy. The family lived at 69 Robin Hood’s Chase in Nottingham.
The 12th Division including the 7th Suffolks attacked the fortified village of Ovillers at 3.15am on the 3rd July.
The Battalion War Diary states; ‘The first 4 waves (D and C Companies) penetrated to the enemy’s third line and portions of them into the village itself, but owing to the darkness touch was lost wit succeeding waves and with the 5th Royal Berks on the right, so that the leading waves were not supported closely enough, thus allowing the Germans to get in between the waves and cut off the leading ones at the third line of resistance, it was at this third German line that the chief casualties occurred, and the assault was brought to a standstill.
The casualties in the Battalion were 21 Officers and 458 Other ranks killed, wounded or missing.’
It was during this attack that Jack was posted as missing and later as killed in action. His body was never identified and today he is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial.
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