Henry was born early in 1886 in Preston-on-the-Hill, one of eight children of Arnold and Elizabeth Platt. Arnold was born in Little Leigh c1857 and Elizabeth in Tattenhall c1862.
In 1891, Arnold was a farm labourer and the family lived on Chester Road. By 1901, Henry’s brothers were also farm labourers, but their father was now a shepherd. Both Alice and Emma had left home. Later that year, another brother, John, was born. Another child had died in infancy.
Henry married Ellen McMahon in 1907 and their son, Arnold, was born at the end of the year and Annie in late 1909. In 1911, the couple were living in Preston Brook with their two children. Henry was still working as a farm labourer.
Nothing is known of his military service.