Private 645829 Henri Louis Guillaume Cadisch

Southern Command Labour Centre, Labour Corps

Died on Friday, 1st November 1918, aged 35

Personal Information:
Henri was born in 1883 at 90 Petherton Road Highbury and was baptised on Christmas Day of that year at St Augustine Highbury. He was the eldest son of Richard Ernest Cadisch (1861-1921) & Leonie Ernestine Mary Anne Masset (1861-1923), and grandson of Ernest Masset 1833-1877) & Elizabeth Rebecca Reffell (1836-1903). Also known as Henry Lewis Cadisch he had three brothers and one sister. He did not marry.

Henry emigrated to Canada in June 1910 on the SS Sicilian to Quebec and by the next year he was in Vancouver.

Younger brother Leon Emile Cadisch (1894-1959) was a despatch rider during WW1.

Historical Information:
Henri Cadisch died of influenza at a temporary military hospital near Compton Chamberlayne, near Salisbury Wiltshire. During the war there were thousands of Australian and Canadian troops camped in the fields below the chalk downland, before being ferried across the channel to France. Compton Chamberlayne has a burial ground with 28 graves of Australian soldiers who also died of influenza during their transit through the local camp.
The rows of huts were set up in a field close to the parish border between Fovant and Compton Chamberlayne which is still called ‘Hospital Field’. There are also signs today of the hospital having been there, large concrete and brick containers which were too well constructed to be demolished and have been pushed to the side of the field.
Nearby at the neighbouring village of Fovant there is an impressive display of army regimental badges carved into the chalk downs, some of which are scheduled ancient monuments and recognised by the Imperial War Museum as war memorials. Also carved into the hillside nearby is an outline map of Australia which was restored in 2019.

Memorial:
Golders Green Crematorium, Hoop Lane, London NW11

After the Second World War a memorial was erected to the men & women who died in the two world wars and were cremated at Golders Green. The Memorial was unveiled in May 1952.