Name
Thomas Arnold
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
28/10/1917
19
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
41681
South Staffordshire Regiment
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
OUTTERSTEENE COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION, BAILLEUL
II. A. 21.
France
Headstone Inscription
No Report
UK & Other Memorials
Abbots Langley Village Memorial, St. Lawrence Church Memorial, Abbots Langley, St Lawrence Church, Abbots Langley, Church of Ascension Memorial, Bedmond, Leavesden Asylum/Hospital War Memorial, Leavesden
Pre War
Thomas was born in Bedmond in the autumn of 1898 (baptised 5 Mar 1899). He was the younger son of Ephraim Arnold and Emily (nee Welsher). Ephraim, was also a Bedmond man, and in both the 1901 and 1911 Census he was recorded employed as a Bricklayer Labourer.
Wartime Service
Thomas had enlisted early in the War, when aged 16. At the time he was working as a Farm Labourer at the Leavesden Asylum. He was discharged when his true age was discovered. It is not known when he re-enlisted at Watford, but in the Oct 1917 edition of the Abbots Langley Parish Magazine Roll of Honour he was recorded serving with the Norfolk Regiment. No Service Records could be found for Thomas and such records that could be found only confirm him as Private 41681, 1st Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment. It would have taken time for information to have been received from the Front, and for the Magazine to be prepared and printed, so news of his death and his the change of unit to the South Staffordshire’s‘ was not recorded until two months later. His death was recorded in the December edition of the Magazine. At that point several sources confirmed that he was serving with the 1st South Staffordshire’s. It is not known exactly when he transferred from the Norfolk’s, if at all.
The South Staffordshires took part in the 3rd Battle of Ypres 1917 and in that part known as 2nd Passchendaele (26 Oct -10 Nov 1917) and while near Zonnebeke Thomas was wounded on the opening day, 26 Oct 1917 and was evacuated to Casualty Clearing Stations in the Bailleul area but died from his wounds on 28th October 1917. Another Bedmond man, Walter Bennett, was killed in the same action.
Thomas’ death was recorded in the December 1917 edition of the Abbots Langley Parish Magazine: “Thomas Arnold, another Bedmond man, was killed in action on October 29th (sic). He was only 19 years of age, and had been at the Front only a month. In the early days of war he enlisted as the age of 16, and, much to his disappointment, he was discharged when his age was discovered.“
An obituary appeared in the Hertfordshire Advertiser on 12th Jan 1918, where it was reported that Thomas had been employed as a temporary labourer at the Leavesden Asylum.
Biography
Additional Information
War Gratuity of £3 and arrears of £ 15 1d together with Probate of £173 3s 1d was paid to his father. Thomas’ elder brother, Arthur, also served in the Great War and survived.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Roger Yapp - www.backtothefront.org
