Name
Thomas Henry Drage (MM)
1890
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
27/09/1918
27
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Corporal
328007
Lancashire Fusiliers
1st/8th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Military Medal
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
RIBECOURT ROAD CEMETERY, TRESCAULT
II. D. 2.
France
Headstone Inscription
REST IN PEACE
UK & Other Memorials
St Mary the Virgin Church, Therfield, Non-conformist Chapel, Therfield, Not listed on the Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford, Not on the Buckland and Chipping memorial, We are not aware of any memorial in Reed End
Pre War
Thomas Henry Drage was born in 1890 in Buckland, Herts, the son and only child of William and Sarah Drage. Two records have been found for his baptism, one of 22 December 1890 and other other on 8 March 1891, both at St Andrew's Church, Buckland.
On both the 1891 and 1901 Censuses the family were living in Buckland where his father was working as an agricultural labourer. His father died in 1903, aged 45, and his mother remarried in Therfield, Herts in 1907 to widower James Stoten who had two sons, William and Arthur. At the time of 1911 Census Thomas was living with his stepfather, mother and stepbrothers at Reed End, Therfield. His stepfather was working as a horsekeeper on a farm and all three boys were working as farm labourers/ploughmen.
Thomas was said to be employed by Messrs. Gimson and Co. Royston before he enlisted.
Wartime Service
He enlisted in Royston and initially joined the Old Royston Company of the Hertfordshire Regiment, under reg. no. 1696, according to a newspaper report. He was then transferred to the Gloucestershire Regiment under reg. no. 202367 and went to France on 3 May 1916.
Early in 1918 he was transferred to the Lancashire Fusiliers and at some point he was promoted to Sergeant. He was awarded the Military Medal in August 1918 ‘for bravery’.
On 27 September 1918 the 1/8th Lancashire Fusiliers were involved in the battle of the Canal du Nord near Cambrai, France. On the Hindenburg Line it was in the Battle of the Canal du Nord, where the Official History records that 125th Brigade's advance at 07.52 on 27 September 'was met by very heavy fire in front from machine guns which the barrage did not seem to have touched, and from Beaucamp on the right . It reached an intermediate objective about 500 yards from the front line and towards noon a little beyond this; but there it had to remain'. However, IV Corps renewed the attack after dark: 'The night was very dark and rainy, but the attack was a complete success; the enemy was surprised; very little opposition was encountered and many prisoners were taken. Under barrages moving a hundred yards in 5 minutes, the front lines of the 125th and 127th Brigades of the 42nd Division ...... went forward in succession' 42nd Division resumed the attack the following afternoon (28 September), 'when the 125th and 126th brigades (the latter passing through the 127th), after some opposition, reached the top of Welsh Ridge, the objective of the division'.
Thomas was killed in action on 27 September 1918. He was recorded as Corporal, though when his death was announced in the Royston Crow (local newspaper) he was said to be Sergeant. He served his country well and was 28 when he died according to the ‘Royston Crow’. His commanding officer, in a letter to his mother, said “He was killed in battle on September 27th whilst giving the utmost encouragement to the men and showing splendid courage and bravery”.
Thomas is buried in Ribecourt Road Cemetery, Trescault, France very close to where he fell. Area 2, Row D, Grave 2.
Additional Information
His mother received a war gratuity of £25 and pay owing of £18 9s 3d. Although a pension card exists with his mother as dependant, there is no indication as to how much pension was paid.
His stepbrother William Stoten served with the Royal Garrison Artillery and was was killed in action in 1917. He is also named on the Therfield Memorial, Hertfordshire.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Malcolm Lennox, Jean Handley, Jonty Wild
