Name
Thomas Armitage Hewitt
29 Dec 1887
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
03/05/1915
26
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Rifleman
617
London Regiment (London Rifle Brigade)
1st/5th (City of London) Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL
Panel 52 and 54.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
NA
UK & Other Memorials
Letchworth Town Memorial, Solicitors & Articled Clerks memorial, Holborn, London,
Pre War
Thomas Armitage Hewitt was born on 29 Dec 1887 (baptised at Grappenhall, Cheshire ,2 Feb 1888). His birth registered during the March quarter 1889 in the Edmonton (London) R.D. - ref:3a/270, the son of Thomas & Sarah Ann Hewitt (nee Doyle).
In 1881 Thomas Snr was residing at 2 Leaf Square, Pendleton.
Thomas married Sarah Ann Doyle on 1 May 1884 in Altringham District.
On the 1891 Census the family of parents, Margery H (born 1886) and T Armitage were living at 43, Crouch Hall Road, Hornsey, Middlesex. There was a servant Sarah Smith (born 1857, cook).
On the 1901 Census the family of parents, Margery, Armitage and 2 Servants : Sarah Smith (born 1857, cook) and Phoebe Trotman (born 1860, Domestic) were living at Thorneloe, Coolhurst Road, Hornsey, Middlesex.
On the 1911 Census the family of parents, Armitage (solicitor) together with 2 servants: Ella Walter (born 1870, domestic) and Edith S Ottley (born 1871, cook) were living at 33 Coolhurst Road, Edmonton, Middlesex.
Thomas Armitage Hewitt L.L.B. (London) was a Solicitor of the Supreme Court.
His parents retired to Grove St, Toowong, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia and named their house there "Rostherne".
Armitage was a member of the practice Hewitt, Urquhart and Woolacott of Broadway Chambers, Letchworth.
Wartime Service
Armitage enlisted in the 1/5 (City of London) Battalion (London Rifle Brigade) as Rifleman 617, probably in Sep/Oct 1914 (serial 281 issued 7 Sep, 1130 14 Oct). He went to France to join the Battalion, which had arrived on 5 Nov 1914 and was part of 11 Brigade, 4th Division on 28 Mar 1915 and were situated in the Ypres.
They took part in the 2nd Battles of Ypres at St Julien (24 Apr-4 May 1915).
On the 24 Apr1915, they entrained for Poperinghe and from there marched to Busselboom. Moved to St. Jean, via Vlamertinghe on the 25th and later went forward to Wieltje. They arrived at positions on the Wieltje-Fortuin Road at 01.45 hrs on the 26th. At dusk, they advanced and dug-in 600 yards south-east of Forruin. Under cover of heavy shell fire and gas, the Germans attacked their positions, advancing from the ridge beyond the Haanebeke stream into dead ground on the near side of the stream, where they dug-in some 300 yards away. Withdrawal ordered during the night of the 3rd. Armitage was killed in action on 3 May 1915, his remains were not recovered and he is remembered on the Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres
Additional Information
War Gratuity of £3 and arrears of £3 18s 9d was paid to his father. He is commemorated on a stone plaque in St. Mary's P.C. Rostherne, Cheshire, immediately underneath another plaque dedicated to his great greatgrandfather (also called Thomas Hewitt), a benefactor of that Church. He is not listed on St. Mary's Main War Memorial, as he was not a local man.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Dan Hill, Janet Capstick, Jonty Wild
