Henry was born on 9 December 1896 in Rochdale, Lancashire the 7th of 8 children of John William and Mary Jane (née Peacock) Bentley, the 5 boys and 3 girls making up the family unit who over time moved from Stockton to Leeds to Burnley to Bolton and finally settled in Rochdale, Lancashire.

Henry joined the Royal Navy on 8 January 1913 when he walked through the gates of HMS GANGES a “Boy Training Establishment” in Shotley, Suffolk, and became a Boy Second Class. On 16 June he was advanced to Boy First Class with a draft to HMS HAWKE on 17 June until 12 November 1913. A first visit to HMS PEMBROKE 1 happened from 13 November to 5 December, HMS VIVID 1 6 December to 31 December and he then joined HMS ESSEX on 1 January 1914. On 17 June he was advanced to Ordinary Seaman and on 13 February 1915 to Able Seaman (AB) leaving the ship on 14 April for 2 days on the books of HMS VICTORY 1.

He joined HMS VERNON on 18 April 1915 for 3 months with a draft to HMS RESEARCH on 1 October 1915 to 18 December 1916 where on board he volunteered for the submarine service and was drafted to HMS DOLPHIN on 19 December 1916 to 8 February 1917. He joined  HMS MAIDSTONE  based in Harwich on 9 February for HMS E47 for operations in the North Sea.

E47 was despatched to patrol off the Texel Islands and left Harwich in company with three other E class submarines, three returned but E47 was declared “Missing Presumed Lost” on 20 August 1917. cause unknown.

In 2012 a diving expedition found the wreck and reported a large hole on the port side underneath the bridge which indicated E47 had struck a mine.

Able Seaman Henry Bentley, Svc No. J21845, had “Crossed The Bar” with 31 of his shipmates.

NOTE:

Henry’s older brother, Hellewell Bentley  (born 1893), Leading Seaman Svc No. K15255 died 6 October 1917 while serving on HMS BEGONIA an RN “Q ship” off the coast of Casablanca, Morocco.    Cause of loss, unknown.

Henry Bentley is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial on Panel 24.