Name
Thomas Fantham
1886
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
10/08/1918
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
T/271032
The Buffs (East Kent Regiment)
10th (R. East Kent and West Kent Yeomanry) Bn
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ST. VENANT-ROBECQ ROAD BRITISH CEMETERY, ROBECQ
III. E. 16.
France
Headstone Inscription
No Report
UK & Other Memorials
Northchurch Village Memorial, St Mary’s Church Window, Northchurch, Northchurch Baptist Church Memorial
Pre War
Thomas was born in Northchurch, nr Berkhamsted, Herts in 1886 to John and Sarah Fantham, (nee Meads). He was one of 13 children, although five had died by 1911.
On the 1891 Census the family were living at New Road, Northchurch where his father was working as a Boatman. They remained at the same address in 1901 and 1911 and Thomas was listed as a Bricklayers Labourer.
Thomas married Dorothy Caroline Batts on 8 January 1914 at Chadlington, Oxfordshire. They had a son Frederick Thomas born 1914 and a daughter, Marjorie Brenda born 1916 and lived at Alma Road, Northchurch. (His widow later lived at Brook End, Chadlington, Oxon.)
Wartime Service
Thomas enlisted in Royal East Kent (the Buffs) regiment as Private T/271032 on 11 Feb 1915. He gave his occupation as Jobbing Gardener. He seems to have been posted as a Territorial Soldier ('T' in service number) and volunteered for overseas service.
He served in UK until 13 February 1917 when he was posted to 10th Battalion (Royal East Kent & West Kent Yeomanry) at Sollum, Egypt, and returned to UK on 6 May 1918 immediately joining BEF in France on 7 May 1918.
He was killed in action on 10 August 1918 and is buried in St Venant-Robecq Road British Cemetery, France.
Additional Information
His widow received a war gratuity of £9 10s a week and pay owing of £16 3s 5d. She also received a pension of £1 5s 6d for herself and her two children.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper, Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild, www.dacorumheritage.org.uk/first-world-war-database
