Name
Thomas Allan Hughes*1
1896
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
31/07/1917
21
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Lance Corporal
266487
Hertfordshire Regiment
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL
Panel 54 and 56.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
NA
UK & Other Memorials
Letchworth Town Memorial, Not listed on the Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford
Pre War
Thomas Allan Hughes was born in Church Hulme in 1896 (baptised 19 Apr 1896) to Edward Hughes, a groom, and Sarah (nee Swain).
On the 1901 Census the family of parents, John E (born 1894), Thomas A, Lucy J (born 1896), Herbert V (born 1900), were living at Back Lane, Ledbury, Herefordshire.
On the 1911 Census the family of parents, John E (gardener), Thomas A (bookbinder’s assistant), Lucy Herbert V Anne S were living at 3 Paddock Close, Letchworth.
Wartime Service
No Service Record was found for him. Thomas enlisted as a Territorial Soldier in the Hertfordshire Regiment as Private 4714, probably in Mar 1915 (serial 4660 was issued on 22 Feb 1915 and serial 4762 on 22 Mar 1915, later renumbered as 266847.
He went France on 17 Aug 1915 to join 1st Battalion as part of 6 Brigade 2 Division. On 29 Feb 1916 the battalion transferred to 118 Brigade 37 Division. He was wounded in action 20th July 1916 on the Somme. He returned to the Battalion to take part in the Battle of 3rd Ypres (Passchendaele). He was killed in action on 31 Jul 1917 (Pilkem Ridge) a day when the Herts regiment suffered very heavy casualties attempting to advance to their objectives against intense fire from the German Positions. He was assumed to have been taken prisoner but his death was presumed. His remains were not recovered and he is remembered on the Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres.
Additional Information
War gratuity of £14 and arrears of £7 4s 8d was paid to his mother.
Father, Ted, was in 1st Herts.
*1 We believe that he is listed as A (Allan) Hughes on the Regimental memorial.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Dan Hill, Janet Capstick, Jonty Wild
