Name
Thomas William Childs
1893
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
20/09/1917
23
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
G/9255
The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment)
11th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
HOOGE CRATER CEMETERY
Plot XIX, Row B, Grave 1.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
He has no family inscription on his Headstone
UK & Other Memorials
Watford Borough Roll of Honour, St John the Baptist Church Memorial, Aldenham, St John the Baptist Church Roll of Honour, Aldenham, Letchmore Heath Village Memorial, Not on the London Colney memorials
Pre War
Thomas William Childs was born in 1893, in London Colney, Herts, the eldest child of William and Mary Ann Childs (nee Brown).
His parents married 20 May 1893 at St John the Baptist, Aldenham, Herts. William possibly died 1928 in the Willesden, London, district aged 63; Mary died 1935 in the St Alban’s, Herts, district aged 68.
William and Mary Ann Childs had 11, Children, 3, died in infancy.
He was Baptised on 6 August 1893, at St Peter’s, Church, London Colney, Herts.
On the 1901 Census, aged 7 he lived in Aldenham, with his parents and five siblings. On the 1911 Census, a farm hand aged 17, he still lived in Aldenham, with his parents and seven siblings.
Wartime Service
Thomas enlisted at Watford, Herts, posted to The Queens (Royal West Surrey Regiment) with the service number G/9255. He served on the Wester Front.
He was Killed in Action between 20 & 22 September 1917, he is buried in the CWGC Hooge Crater Cemetery in Belgium.
Additional Information
The value of his effects was £8-6s-8d, Pay Owing and £6, War Gratuity which went to his farther William. He is recorded as T. W. Child on the CWGC records. To Mark the 100th Anniversary a garden was laid out. The garden is dedicated to past Edge Grove students who lost their lives in the war. A historic memorial plaque was donated to the school to honour a local war veteran, Thomas William Childs, who died in action in September 1917. The plaque, which has a special place in the garden, was one of several Holland-Hibbert plaques mounted on houses in Letchmore Heath, Battlers Green and Patchetts Green to commemorate those who fought and died in the First World War. Unfortunately, Thomas’ Service Record appears to be one that did not survive the World War Two bombing.
Acknowledgments
Stuart Osborne, Taff Williams
Jonty Wild, Sue Carter (Research) and Watford Museum (ROH on line via www.ourwatfordhistory.org.uk)
