Name
Thomas Wilkinson
10/08/1896
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
31/07/1917
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
L/16437
Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment)
12th (Service) Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL
Panel 6 and 8.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
He has no Headstone. He is commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial in Belgium to the missing.
UK & Other Memorials
Cheshunt Town Memorial *1, St Mary the Virgin Church Memorial, Cheshunt *2
Pre War
Thomas Wilkinson (he was registered at birth as George Thomas Wilkinson, all other documents found refer to him as Thomas Wilkinson, the birth was registered in Q3 1896, in Edmonton, Middx) was born on 10th August 1896, in Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire. Son of George Anthony Wilkinson and Elizabeth Mary Wilkinson (nee Spillett).
His father George died two years after his birth in 1898. His mother Elizabeth remarried in 1902, in Enfield, Middx, to Charles Albert Turner.
1901 Census records Thomas aged 4, living with his Grandparents John and Emma Spillett, in Gews Corner, Cheshunt, Herts.
Thomas attended St Mary’s Infant School, Cheshunt, from October 1901, until May 1904, when he transferred to Dewhurst Endowed Boys School, leaving in July 1910, aged 13, just before his 14th Birthday to start work.
1911 Census, Thomas (14), has left school and is employed as an Apprentice Printer, living with his Uncle and Aunt, George and Mary Pomfrett (Mary was his mother’s younger sister) at, Laburnham Cottage, Gews Corner, Cheshunt, Herts.
Wartime Service
Thomas enlisted in Edmonton, Middx, posted to the 2nd Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) with the service number L/16437.
On completion of his training we was sent to the Gallipoli Front, arriving in June 1915. The 2nd Battalion were involved in heavy fighting until their evacuation on the night of 7th & 8th January 1916, sailing for Egypt where they stayed until March 1916, when they returned to France, arriving at Marseilles where they travelled by train to an area East of Pont Romy. In July they saw action at the Battle of the Somme. His Medal Index card (MID) records he served with the 32nd (East Ham) Battalion, for a short time before being transferred to the 12th (Service) Battalion.
Thomas was Killed in Action on 31st July 1917, he has no known grave, he is commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial in Belgium to the missing. Panel 6.
Additional Information
His effects of £9-2s-11d, pay owing and his war gratuity of £15-10s-00d, went to his Grandfather John Spillett.
His Medal Index Card records the date of death as 3rd August 1917.
*1 Cheshunt Town War Memorial records him as G. T. Wilkinson.
*2 The Church of St Mary the Virgin Memorial records him as T. Wilkinson.
Acknowledgments
Stuart Osborne
Jonty Wild
