Name
Thomas Henry Fox
19 Oct 1886
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
20/09/1917
30
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
281719
Hampshire Regiment
15th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
TYNE COT MEMORIAL
Panel 88 to 90 and 162.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
No Report
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the Hertford Heath memorials,
Not on the Hoddesdon memorials*1
Pre War
Thomas Henry was born in Trunch, Norfolk on 19 Oct 1886 (baptised 19 Dec 1886) to Thomas Edward Fox, a gamekeeper, and Hannah Maria (nee Brigham).
On the 1891 Census Thomas and his parents were living at Keeper’s House, Goose Green, Hoddesdon, together with elder brothers William and Albert, and younger brother John. On the 1901 Census Thomas was working as an agricultural labourer as were his brothers Albert and John, Brother William was an assistant gamekeeper. The Family were living at Higham, Suffolk On the 1911 Census Thomas was a footman at High Leigh, Hoddesdon.
He married Mary Ann Chapman in 1914.
Wartime Service
Thomas enlisted in Bournemouth as Private 3491 in the Hampshire Regiment. His serial number is probably a Territorial Force number. As no Service Record could be found for Thomas few details of his service are available.
Thomas, if a Territorial may have gone to France with 15th (Service) Battallion in May 1916. This Battlion was engaged in the Somme Battles of Flers-Courcelette and Transloy Ridges and in 1917 Thomas gained the Service Number 281719 when Territorial Force was renumbered and he repositioned to Ypres Sector for the Battles of Messines, Pilkem Ridge and Menin Road (20 - 25 Sep 1917). It was during this last action on 20 Sep 1917 that Thomas was reported killed in action, his remains were not recovered and he is remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Passchendaele.
Additional Information
War Gratuity of £5 and arrears of £2 10s 10d together with Probate of £220 6s was paid to his widow.
Brother Albert Edward served as Private 28762 9th Battalion Essex Regiment and was killed in action on 6 May 1917. (He is remembered on Hoddesdon WW1 memorial).
Thomas is also commemorated together with Albert on the family headstone in Hoddesdon Cemetery. Some of the inscription is difficult to read but contains:
ALBERT EDWARD FOX ? AT ? THOMAS HENRY FOX KILLED IN ACTION SEPT 20 1917 AGED 30
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Jonty Wild
