Name
Thomas John Horton Crouchman
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
31/07/1917
28
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
267019
Hertfordshire Regiment
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL
Panel 54 and 56.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Sawbridgeworth Town Memorial, Great St Mary’s Church Memorial, Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford
Pre War
Thomas was born on the 4th April 1889, in Sawbridgeworth, Herts. and was the son of Thomas Crouchman, a Boot Maker, and Eliza Crouchman. He was Baptised on the 9th June 1889, in Sawbridgeworth.
The various census reveal that in 1891 Thomas, then aged 1, was living with his Parents, and three sisters in 38 Knight Street, Sawbridgeworth, Herts. They were living in the same street in 1901 and 1911, but in the latter the number is given as 38. At this time William’s occupation is given as a boot maker and boot repairer.
Thomas was living in Sawbridgeworth, Herts. when he enlisted in Hertford. Thomas Married Evelyn May Reynolds a 19 year old spinster on the 1st July 1916, in Sawbridgeworth in the Great St. Mary’s Church..
It seems that Thomas was usually known by his middle name of ‘John’.
Wartime Service
Thomas enlisted in Hertford, joining the 1st Battalion, Hertfordshire Regiment with the Service No 6041 and then Service No 267019 (1917).
He was Killed in Action on the 31st July 1917 and has no known grave, but is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial in Ypres, Belgium.
The 1st Hertfordshire Battalion were in support of an attack on the Langemarck Line and a general bombardment of the German lines commenced at 3.45am on the 31st July and and the planned assault began. It had three objectives to achieve known as Blue, Black & Green and units of the 116th Brigade easily captured the first two objectives, preparing the way for the forward companies of the Hertfordshire battalion, to take the third objective. At 05.00am the Hertfordshires left their assembly positions to attack their objective, which lay over the crest of a ridge.
As they made their way forward, they came under heavy fire from both German machine guns and snipers but after eliminating a German strongpoint moved up towards St. Juliaan, which was only lightly held. The battalion crossed the Steenbeek with some difficulty and two of its supporting Tanks became bogged down in the mud. Things then went from bad to worse. A pre-arranged artillery barrage never materialised due to the guns being unable to move forward over the muddy terrain and the German barbed wire defences, which were fifteen feet deep in some places, were found to still be intact. It was soon realised that ground could only be won by section " rushes" supported by the unit’s own fire.
The Cheshire Regiment were on the right of the battalion but the Black Watch, who were due to cover the left flank, had been seriously delayed. This left the Hertfordshire Regiment seriously exposed and the Germans exploited this by bringing a hurricane of fire down upon the stricken troops. This was followed by a German counterattack and by 10.30am it was clear that the objective could not be achieved. Casualties were very heavy with 459 men being killed, missing or wounded.
Acknowledgments
Jonty Wild, Stuart Osborne, Douglas Coe
