Name
Thomas James Hayward
1889
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
05/09/1918
31
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
16073
Bedfordshire Regiment
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ST. SEVER CEMETERY, ROUEN
Q. IV. G. 25
France
Headstone Inscription
No Report
UK & Other Memorials
Letchworth Town Memorial, Church of St Nicholas Memorial, Norton
Pre War
Thomas James Hayward was born in Ruddington, Nottingham to Thomas Hayward, and Ruth (nee Barnes).
On the 1891 Census The family of Mother Ruth, Thomas and Frank (born 1890) were living at High Street, Ruddington, Nottinghamshire.
Not found on the 1901 Census.
On the 1911 Census Thomas was a bookbinder finisher and living as a boarder with the Blackboro family of father Charles (born 1874), wife Ellen (born 1875) and daughter Nelly (born 1907) at 39 Pix Road, Letchworth. Also recorded was another boarder Charles Rankin (a printer’s assistant, born 1887).
Thomas married Lilian Fordham in 1912 in Hitchin District.
Address recorded at 146 Common View. Letchworth . His wife, Lillian Hayward listed at 58 Common View in 1918.
Joined the Bedfordshire Regiment at the out-break of war in 1914
Wartime Service
No Service record was found for Thomas. He volunteered possibly in 1914 not long after the outbreak of the Great War joining the Bedfordshire Regiment as Private 16073.
Following his training he went to France on 30 Aug 1915 to join 1st Battalion as part of 15th Brigade, 5th Division. In 1916 the division took part in the Battle of the Somme at the Battles of High Wood (20-25 Jul), Guillemont (3-6 Sep), Flers-Courcelette (15-22 Sep), Morval (25-28 Sep). In 1917 they moved to the Vimy area and were at Vimy (9-14 Apr), La Coulotte (23 Apr), 3rd Scarpe (3-4 May). They were taken out of Line on 7 Sep 1917 and move the the Ypres Sector taking part in the 3rd Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele) at Polygon Wood (26 Sep-3 Oct), Brooseinde (4 Oct), Poelcapelle (9 Oct), 2nd Passchedaele (26 Oct-10 Nov). There now followed a move to the Italian Front at the Piave River but were recalled to France after the Germans launched their Spring Offensive on 21 Mar 1918. 5th Division were engaged in the Lys Offensive at Hazebrouch (12-15 Apr): later in 1918 during the Allied 100 Days Offensive they were involved in the Battles of Albert (21-23 Aug) and Bapaume (31 Aug-3 Sep). In this last action Thomas was wounded and he died on 5 Sep 1918.
Additional Information
Letters from TJ Hayward in Citizen in 1915.
War Gratuity of £19 and arrears of £15 12s 3d was paid to his widow Lilian.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Dan Hill, Ellen Barnes, Jonty Wild, Terry Wheeler
