Henry was born in 1920 in Mile End, London to Morris and Polish born Ada née Pollack and he had two older siblings Aaron and Lily. Their father Morris worked as a shoe clicker and then became a policeman. In 1939 the family lived at 11 St Peters Avenue in Bethnal Green and Henry was listed as working as a clerk in a millinery business before enlisting into the Army in 1939. He later transferred to the RAF.

Henry was the air bomber on Lancaster LM390 which departed RAF Kirmington on a night operation to Magdeburg. The aircraft was lost without trace and all the crew are commemorated on Runnymede Memorial.

Pilot, Albert Caile, 1018880
A/G, Leslie Collins, 1593956
W/Op, Fred Cottee, 1527411
F/E, William James Thomas Finch, 1814408
Nav, John Edward Hands, 1576688
A/G, James Lynch, 910937