Name
Thomas John Hunt
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
19/07/1916
18
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
10656
Bedfordshire Regiment
6th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
HEILLY STATION CEMETERY, MERICOURT-L'ABBE
II.D.47
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Rickmansworth Urban District Memorial,
St. Peter's C & E Primary School Memorial, Mill End
Pre War
Thomas was born in Harefield in 1897 the son of Henry and Rose (nee Hutchins) Hunt. In 1901, with their three children, they were living Crowell, Thame, Oxfordshire, Henry being a Bricklayer. In 1911 Henry and Rose, now with eight children, were at 2 Ivy Cottages, Church Lane, Mill End. Thomas was not with the family and has not been traced.
When Thomas died his parents’ address was given as 77 Church Lane.
Recorded as enlisting in Watford.
Wartime Service
This unit was a Service Battalion raised in August 1914, landed Le Havre 30th of July 1915 and joined 112th Brigade 37th Division.
They served entirely on the Western Front. Their 1916 actions included Bazentin Ridge where Thomas may have incurred the wounds from which he died om the 19th of July. On the 14th of July the British Fourth Army launched a dawn attack on the German 2nd Army in the Braune Stellung, from Delville Wood westwards to Bazentin-le-Petit Wood. At the time 112th Brigade was attached to 34th Division. Following a day of heavy fighting the attack was resumed on the 15th with 112th Brigade engaged in a flank assault in support of the main battle. They started their advance across open, rising ground towards Bazentin village with 6th Beds in the second line. Heavy casualties were incurred from machinegun and artillery fire and the advance was halted some 200 yards from the village outskirts, the survivors digging in there. Further attempts were made during the afternoon with more losses. As night fell the exhausted survivors of 112th Brigade linked with those of 3rd Brigade to establish a continuous line in front of the village where they stayed until relieved the next day.
In that one day the 6th Battalion suffered 330 casualties and 112th Brigade as a whole 1034.
Acknowledgments
Malcolm Lennox, Tanya Britton, Mike Collins
