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J/23451 HMS Eden, Royal Navy
Henry Belsham, registered at birth as John Henry, was born in Hackney, London on 25 December 1896, one of six surviving children of Henry James (Harry) and Charlotte Belsham. His father was employed as a mechanical engineer and the family lived at one time in East Harnham, Wiltshire before moving to Priory Walk in Sudbury. His father was a Guardian for the Sudbury Workhouse and Henry was employed as a metal worker.
Henry joined the Royal Navy as a ‘Ganges Boy’ on 14 March 1913; he was described in his records as having a very good character and satisfactory ability. He joined HMS Eden, a River Class destroyer on 26 February 1916. The ship was in collision with S.S. France, a hospital ship in the English Channel on 17 June 1916 and Henry lost his life aged 19.
There is no known grave and Henry is remembered on the Chatham Naval Memorial in Kent. His brother Edwin is also remembered on the Sudbury War Memorial.
A Cross of Remembrance was laid at the Chatham Naval Memorial in October 2006.
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