Killed in action aged 20
Buried in Cabaret-Rouge British Cemetery, Souchez Plot XXVIII. D. 2.
Herbert was born in Moseley in Worcestershire, the only child of John Mann Lockerbie, and his wife Florence who was 22 years younger.
J.M. Lockerbie, born in 1849, moved from Scotland to the Birmingham area. In 1876, with Arthur Wilkinson, he commenced trading near New Street, Birmingham, as suppliers of builder's ironmongery and ornamental ironwork, and manufacturers of constructional steelwork. In the 1880s, they invented and patented coin-operated doorlocks for public conveniences. These were the original "spend a penny" locks for lavatory doors. Lockerbie & Wilkinson was incorporated as a Private Limited Company and all products marketed under the "Locwil" Trademark. In the 1890s, they commenced manufacturing abattoir equipment, supplying many installations to the UK and export markets and moved to a purpose-built factory (in Tipton near Dudley), occupying 5 acres. On 30 November 1903, John Lockerbie died in Johannesburg. His young widow was left with £5,179-12s-6d. The company was sold, shortly afterwards, and continues to the present day, under the name of Locwil.
In 1911, Herbert was a boarder at the Royal Asylum of St. Anne’s School in Redhill, Surrey. This charitable school had moved to Redhill from London in the 1880s and closed after the end of WW1. It took both girls and boys and must have given a good education for Herbert to be awarded a place at Christ Church.
It is presumed that he enlisted in the 3rd Battalion the Machine Gun Corps, straight from school on 10 January 1916. He fought in France and was killed in action at Courcelles.
His mother of 75, Benhill Avenue, Sutton, Surrey applied for Probate. He left her £50-17s-9d.