Henry Alfred Styles

"He did not seem right in the head"

This name is on the St Mark's War Memorial, Kennington Oval, London SE11

H. A. Styles

(Henry Alfred Styles)

(Styles, Henry Alfred)

Service no L/12453

Private, Middlesex Regiment, 2nd Battalion

Died aged about 25 on 18 May 1916

Remembered at Aveluy Communal Cemtery Extension, Somme, France and at St Mark's Church, London SE11 and on the (lost) St Mark's War Shrine

Henry's 2 younger brothers, William Daniel Styles and Sydney Styles, are also on the memorial (and on the War Shrine). They both died at Ypres, on 20 March 1916, while serving in the Grenadier Guards, 1st Battalion.

Census information for the Styles family

Continuing the tragic tale of career soldier Henry Alfred StylesOn 5 February 1915 Styles was court-martialed and convicted of "When on active service, attempting to desert his Majesty's Service."He was sentenced to 10 years penal servitude. This conviction was confirmed but the sentence was commuted to 2 years. Styles was held in a "Military Prison in the Field at Rouen until 6 November 1915 when he was released under the Provisions of the "Suspension of Sentence" Act and on 13 November sent to rejoin his Battalion at the Somme.Styles's two younger brothers, William and Sydney, were killed on the same day - 20 March 1916 - at Ypres. Did this news prove to much for a man who was probably mentally unstable, who had already attempted to desert, who had problems with authority and was miles from what remained of his family?There are four separate pieces of evidence on what happened on 18 May 1916. Unfortunately three are damaged so completely as to be almost totally illegible. The fourth is eloquent enough:

4th Evidence

No 13928 Lt/Cpl Watson, F.

2/Middlesex Regiment states

On the night of the 17-18 May 1916 I was N.C.O. in charge of the group of which Pte. Styles was one. He was relieved at 11.30 p.m. I did not see him again. He did not speak at all during the night. I have known Pte. Styles since December 1913 and he has always seemed rather queer. He did not seem right in the head & was always accusing other men of trying to poison him & steal his things.

E. P. Watson L/Cpl

2/Middx. Regt.

An Army form "Report on Self-Inflicted Wounds" (of which there were many) gives more detail:

At about 3a.m. this morning Pte Styles was found lying behind the front line Trench at X.7.3. The back of his head was blown off, and a string was attached to the trigger of his rifle. There was an empty cartridge case in the chamber.

For the officers in charge there was no doubt: "I am of the opinion that this wound was caused wilfully," said the Major, reiterated by the Brigadier-General, and finally the Major General stepped: "I consider this was a suicide," he writes.