Name
Thomas Matthew Grieve
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
21/01/1916
18
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Lance Corporal
14849
Bedfordshire Regiment
7th Bn.
"C" Coy,
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
MEAULTE MILITARY CEMETERY
B. 34.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
High Wych Memorial, Not on the Sawbridgeworth memorials
Pre War
Thomas was born in Sawbridgeworth in 1897 or 8, the son of Farquharson Grieve, a farmer bailiff from Scotland and his wife Emma (née Jolley). In 1901 and 1911 they resided at Acton’s farm High Wych.
Thomas’s military record an address of Oaks Farm, Little Hallingbury though.
Wartime Service
Thomas joined the 7th Battalion of the Bedfordshire Regiment, the ‘shiny seventh’ as it was called. His unit served entirely in France and Flanders between their arrival in July 1915 and their disbandment in May 1918.
Thomas died near the Somme on 21st January 1916. At this time, the Battalion was in trenches near Meaulte. However, the Battalion diary notes this to have been a ‘very quiet day’ with no casualties. The entry for the preceding day 20 January actually uses the words ‘abnormally quiet’, again with no casualties. The Battalion War Diary mentions mines and gas over the previous two days. Mining work was progressing in the area, and that there were casualties there. However, because the mining units were specialist troops, it is unlikely that could have been a cause of Thomas’ death. There is though, a mention of an NCO casualty killed from a German trench mortar on the 22 January. It seems then more likely that Thomas was killed on the 22 January 1916 and it was incorrectly notated later.
Thomas Grieve is buried at Meaulte Military Cemetery, France. He was aged 29.
Additional Information
The CWGC’s records confirm his parents and that they were recorded living at Oaks Farm, Little Hallingbury, Bishop's Stortford, Herts. His headstone reads “Peace perfect peace” as requested by Mrs A Grieve. His surname was sometimes spelt ‘Greive’.
Acknowledgments
Jonty Wild, Theo van de Bilt, Douglas Coe
