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Remembered Today:

Canadian born Indian Army officer killed in India 1916


John Gilinsky

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post-7558-1228785069.jpg

Does anyone have any biographical information on this man? The memorial is located in the southeastern wall of St. James's Cathedral (Anglican) located on King Street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Thanks,

John

Toronto

Found this on the CWGC website:

HENDERSON, ELMES POLLOCK Captain 29/06/1916 31 106th Hazara Pioneers Indian Face 27. DELHI MEMORIAL (INDIA GATE)

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I was surprised John but he is listed on VAC here:

HENDERSON, E. P. Canadian Virtual War Memorial

There are two photos, similar to yours, so someone has researched this man.

1437275_t2.jpg1437275_t1.jpg

He does not "pop up" in he 1911 census.

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laughton: Thank you for pointing out VAC and your apparent unsuccessfulness in locatin Henderson via the 1911 census. I hope someone has more information on this man to prove that he was Canadian and a Torontonian.

John

Toronto

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John

You can obtain an over-view of events on the Indian borders in 1916-17 by reading Monro's despatch published in London Gazette Number 30360 on 31 October 1917.

Harry

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John - no idea how accurate it is but the UK based Channel 4 Lost Generations website records that his name is on a memorial at

ST PETERS CHURCH

BEXHILL

EAST SUSSEX

ENGLAND

Maybe someone in the area could check it out for you - nothing jumps out at me on UK Ancestry I'm afraid - but if you can find someone with full membership there seem to be some International mentions on a search of "Elmes Henderson"

Census & Voter Lists

2 1891 Census of Canada

Birth, Marriage & Death 6

3 Ontario, Canada Marriages, 1857-1924

2 Ontario, Canada Births, 1869-1909

1 Ontario, Canada Deaths, 1869-1934

Military 1

1 Indian Army Quarterly List for 1 January 1912

Immigration & Emigration 6

2 Canadian Passenger Lists, 1865-1935

2 New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957

2 New York Port, Ship Images, 1851-1891

Dictionaries, Encyclopedias & Reference 2

2 Canadian Genealogy Index, 1600s-1900s

Cheers

Sue

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Elmes P Henderson was born in Toronto on the 27 June 1885. He was the son of Elmes and Frederica Jane (nee Groves) Henderson. His father was a barrister and at the time of his birth the family were living at 52 Clover Hill, Toronto.

The January 1912 Indian Army List records that he was first commissioned on the 8 August 1906 and became a Lieutenant on 8 November 1908, his regiment was 106th Pioneers.

He was back in Canada by 1914 as on the 24th December in Toronto he married the 24 year old Mabel Robinson the daughter of John W and Elizabeth Larine Robinson. His occupation was given as 'real estate'.

Aled

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Thanks so much Aled, Sue and Bushfighter. We certainly now have the essential biographical details such as birth and death dates and approximately where he was for periods of his adult life.

John

Toronto

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Richard & John,

I took those photographs and posted them on the Virtual Memorial several years ago. I did not conduct any detailed research.

Mainly what I was trying to do was photograph all the memorial plaques and military related items located in St. James Cathedral, plus the Gothic Memorial (with names on the steps outside, left side of church). My plan was to send them in for each name on the C.V.M.

Marika

P.S. I have already completed all the main churches plus many smaller churches in Toronto in terms of photographing the memorial plaques. I have sent most of these to the Canadian Virtual Memorial for posting to a man's record. Those I have not yet sent are still in process - researching and editing photos. I have also completed plaques for most of Hamilton, Ontario and Calgary, Alberta.

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  • 6 months later...

I have a vague recollection that Henderson was ex-RMC Kingston, and one of those who won Indian Army commissions (usually the top of the class).

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RMC 1906. Lieutenant and Adjutant 106th Pioneers 1914 Militia List

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  • 3 months later...
Guest sharps1859

I own this officer's Webley Wilkinson revolver which is cased with two Hazara Pioneers badges.

The backstrap of the grip has a silver plate engraved EPH.

sharps1859(at) aol.com

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Thank you Sharps1859 for adding this. Perhaps you might be able in the future to post one or two photos of the revolver especially focusing on the revolver's unit connection?

Thanks,

John

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  • 2 years later...

laughton: Thank you for pointing out VAC and your apparent unsuccessfulness in locatin Henderson via the 1911 census. I hope someone has more information on this man to prove that he was Canadian and a Torontonian.

John

Toronto

This man was my mother's uncle. His sister, Millicent Henderson, was my maternal grandmother. I have a miniature portrait that I believe is Elmes P Henderson in uniform.

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John - no idea how accurate it is but the UK based Channel 4 Lost Generations website records that his name is on a memorial at

ST PETERS CHURCH

BEXHILL

EAST SUSSEX

ENGLAND

Maybe someone in the area could check it out for you - nothing jumps out at me on UK Ancestry I'm afraid - but if you can find someone with full membership there seem to be some International mentions on a search of "Elmes Henderson"

Census & Voter Lists

2 1891 Census of Canada

Birth, Marriage & Death 6

3 Ontario, Canada Marriages, 1857-1924

2 Ontario, Canada Births, 1869-1909

1 Ontario, Canada Deaths, 1869-1934

Military 1

1 Indian Army Quarterly List for 1 January 1912

Immigration & Emigration 6

2 Canadian Passenger Lists, 1865-1935

2 New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957

2 New York Port, Ship Images, 1851-1891

Dictionaries, Encyclopedias & Reference 2

2 Canadian Genealogy Index, 1600s-1900s

Cheers

Sue

I am the great-grand-daughter of the Elmes Henderson who died in 1934. I believe that some of this research may have mixed up some of the Henderson men. The Indian Army officer, Elmes P Henderson, who is memorialized in the plaque at St James Cathedral, in Toronto, was, I believe, the oldest son in the family. Another son, Percy, is the man who married Mabel and lived in Toronto. I am going from verbal information from my mother, Althea Green, who died in Toronto in 1985. Her mother was Millicent (Henderson) Green, the sister of the Indian Army officer in question.

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post-7558-1228785069.jpg

Does anyone have any biographical information on this man? The memorial is located in the southeastern wall of St. James's Cathedral (Anglican) located on King Street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Thanks,

John

Toronto

Found this on the CWGC website:

HENDERSON, ELMES POLLOCK Captain 29/06/1916 31 106th Hazara Pioneers Indian Face 27. DELHI MEMORIAL (INDIA GATE)

Elmes Pollack Henderson was my mother's uncle. He was indeed a Canadian and a Torontonian. I'm hoping that my information is still of use to someone who may be researching this topic. I have a small portrait of him in uniform.

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John & Lisa

Captain Elmes Pollock Henderson was killed in action on the Jhalawan operations. He was Mentioned in Despatches.

(See London Gazette No 30360 dated 30 October 1917, page 11273.)

The Jhalwan operations are briefly mentioned in the same LG on pages 11270 and 11271.

A colleague in the Indian Military Historical Society ( http://www.imhs.org.uk/ ) comments:

Elmes Pollock Henderson was commissioned 2nd Lieut in the Indian Army (Unattached List) on 8 Aug 1906, serving the statutory probationary period with the 1st Bn Royal Sussex Regiment. Thereafter, he was posted to the 106th Pioneers as an Double Company Commander on 11 Nov 1907 and appointed adjutant on 1 Feb 1913 (ref: IA Lists Oct 1907, Jul 1908, Jan 1915). Nothing to really comment on here, other than to note that his career was spent with the same regiment.

We will search for further details of the action in which he was killed as it is an interesting sideshow within a sideshow.

Harry

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I have found his commemoration here:

http://www.cwgc.org/search-for-war-dead/casualty/1437275/HENDERSON,%20ELMES%20POLLOCK

although the date of death is four days later than that on the memorial plaque.

Perhaps he received wounds on the 25th and expired on the 29th. If so then I hope that he did not suffer too much in that extremely inhospitable environment.

Harry

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  • 4 weeks later...

A big thank you Harry and Liza for your continued interest in this now dated post. I am NOT currently receiving updates when you posted to this thread that is why I did not post back as soon as I could but only found your posts to the thread that I started 6 years ago fortuituously. Thanks again. I do not though have anything further. I am focused on Canadian home front and I might find something else locally such as the family but this is slight since I am not focusing on the Hendersons etc... Still if you think that I can point you in the right direction etc...please email me directly or via my GWF mailbox which I think stil has some room!

John

Toronto

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  • 3 years later...

Dear GWFs,

Here is a picture of Lieut Henderson with the 106 Hazaras, 1913.

The original is held by the NAM, and included all the officers and VCOs, several of whom gained distinction.

I am researching the life of Lieut N. B. Burge, who joined the regiment in 1918...

Kindest regards,

Kim.

post-122353-0-88100600-1443967553_thumb.

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