Name
Thomas William Walden Haycroft
3/10/1886
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
13/10/1914
28
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Serjeant
8237
Bedfordshire Regiment
1st Bn.
"D" Coy
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star (with Clasp & Roses), British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
LE TOURET MEMORIAL
Panel 10 and 11.
France
Headstone Inscription
He has no Headstone. He is commemorated on the Le Touret Memorial to the missing in France.
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the Cheshunt memorials
Pre War
Thomas William Walden Haycroft was born in Marylebone, London/Middlesex, on 3rd October 1886, son of Thomas Haycroft a, Police Constable and Ellen “Nellie” Elizabeth Haycroft (nee Walden). The eldest of two sons.
Thomas Jr. was Baptised at St. Pauls Church, Lisson Grove, Westminster, on 24th October 1886.
He attended St Paul’s Bentinck Boys school, Bridport Street, Westminster.
1891 Census records Thomas Jr. aged 4, at school, living with his parents and younger brother Harold (8 months) at, 22 Miles Buildings, Carlisle Street, Marylebone, Lon/Middx. His mother Nellie died later in the year.
1901 Census records Thomas Jr. (14) and brother Harold (10), lodging with Lewis and Nellie Williams at 40 Boston Place, Marylebone, Lon/Middx. His occupation is given as a Telegraph Messenger. The 1901 Census for their father Thomas Snr. records him as a Police Constable living in Police accommodation at, Powder Miles Police Station, Powder Mills Lane, Waltham Abbey, Essex.
On the 25th April 1905, Thomas Jr. travelled to Waltham Abbey, Essex, to enlisted, posted to the Bedfordshire Regiment and issued with the service number 8237.
In January 1907 his father Thomas Snr. retired from the Police Force with a Police Pension.
1911 Census records Thomas Jr. aged 24, single, a Lance Corporal in 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, stationed at Maida Barracks, Stanhope Lines, Aldershot, Hampshire.
In May 1913, Thomas Jr. married Florence Elizabeth May in Colchester, Essex, the daughter of Thomas and Maria May.
Wartime Service
At the outbreak of war, the 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment was stationed at Mullingar, Ireland. They were mobilized for war service and left Mullingar by train on the 14th August 1914 for Belfast, embarked aboard the S. S. “Oronsay” and sailed for Le Havre, France, arriving the night of the 15th-16th August 1914. Disembarked the morning of the 16th and marched to Rest Camp which was at the top of the hill.
Thomas Jr. and his Battalion were in volved at the Battle of Mons and the subsequent Retreat (24th Aug – 28th Sept 1914), Battle of Le Cateau, (26th Aug 1914), Battle of The Marne (5th – 12th Sept 1914), The First Battle of the Aisne (13th – 28th Sept 1914), Battle of La Bassee (10th Oct – 2nd Nov 1914).
Thomas Jr. was Killed in Action in the area of Givenchy on the 13th October 1914, during the Battle of La Bassee, he has no known grave, he is Commemorated on the Le Touret Memorial in France to the missing.
Additional Information
Florence received a widow’s pension of 26/7 a week from 17th May 1915, and his effects of £11-12s-3d, Pay Owing and his War Gratuity of £8.
In December 1908 brother Harold enlisted in the Royal Garrison Artillery with the service number 30470 later transferred to the Royal Engineers with the service number 311914, he survived the war and was discharged in December 1920.
In November 1916, his father Thomas Snr. remarried in Tavistock, Devon, to Ellen F. Welsh and went on to have a second family, Cyril, Sydney, Kathleen and Marjorie.
Cyril served with the Welsh Regiment in Burma (modern day Myanmar) during WW 2, were he died on 3rd February 1945, he is buried in the CWGC Taukkyan War Cemetery, Myanmar (Burma).
Acknowledgments
Stuart Osborne
Jonty Wild
