Henry Anthony Birrell-Anthony, only child of Henry Anthony and  Mary Annette Birrell-Anthony was born in Maindy, Cardiff in July 1887.

He was educated at Llandaff Cathedral School, Stancliffe Hall Preparatory School and then Repton School (Latham House) in Derbyshire, where he represented the Repton Eleven at cricket. He matriculated in 1906 to University College, Oxford obtaining a B.A. degree. Following his fathers profession he went on to study law and was an articled clerk at the law firm of B L Reynolds in High Wycombe when war broke out in 1914.

He enlisted for officer training on 9th September 1914, and as 2nd Lieutenant with the 1st Battalion, Monmouthshire Regiment, he was one of 13 officers and 382 other ranks who became casualties on a disastrous day for 1st  Monmouths at Frezenberg Ridge in the Second Battle of Ypres, 8th May 1915.

His father, who as  Lt. Colonel was in command of the second line 2/1 battalion of the Monmouths during the war, erected a memorial near St Julien to his son and all other officers and men of the 1st Monmouths who fell in the battle on that day.

H A Birrell-Anthony has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial. In Thame he is remembered on the War Memorial, and on St Mary’s and All Saints Memorial Boards.