Name
Thomas William Jennings (DCM)
1884
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
27/03/1918
32
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Serjeant
1302 [130]
Rifle Brigade
3rd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Searched but not found
Distinguished Conduct Medal
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
POZIERES MEMORIAL
Panel 81 to 84.
France
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
St Mary's Church Memorial, Apsley End, Apsley,
Hemel Hempstead Town Memorial,
John Dickinson & Co Memorial, Apsley Mills, Apsley
Pre War
Thomas William Jennings was born in 1885 in Hemel Hempstead, the son of John Thomas and Elizabeth Jennings (nee Sells), and one of eight children, he also had an older step-sister Elizabeth Sells.
The Jennings family lived in London Road, Boxmoor where Thomas grew up and went to school. He left school in 1898 went to work at John Dickinson & Co Ltd, at Apsley Mills. On the 1901 Census the family were living at 1 London Road, Boxmoor, Hemel Hempstead, when his father was working as a Gas Stoker and Thomas was a Paper Maker.
He met Ellen Claridge at Dickinsons, they married in 1909 and on the 1911 Census they were living at 2 White Lion Street, Apsley End, Hemel Hempstead with their daughter Rose Ellen. Thomas was working as a Storeman at the [Apsley] Paper Mills (John Dickinson & Co).
They later lived at 10 White Lion Street and had three more children, Thomas, Edwin and Charles.
Thomas was member of the Dickinsons Fire Brigade, a private fire brigade set up at the mills in 1883 and which continued to operate until 1990. He was also a member of the local Territorial Force and, as such, was among the first men to be mobilised on the outbreak of war.
Wartime Service
Thomas volunteered at the outbreak of war and enlisted at Hemel Hempstead on the same day as his younger brother Horace. They both joined the Rifle Brigade, although Horace later transferred to the Machine Gun Corps.
He left for France on 10 September 1914 with the 3rd Battalion, only a week after volunteering, and was immediately in action in the Battle of the Aisne, before moving to Flanders in November.
In February 1915 he was given a few days home leave which was reported in the local newspaper on 6 February, it revealed that "The order came to Private Jennings' section in the trenches that two non-commissioned officers and two privates might go home, and they tossed up for the privilege, Private Jennings being one of the lucky ones. He and his comrades left at once, just as they were, and arrived home with the mud from the trenches still plastered on them, and rounds of ammunition in their bandoliers."
When he returned to the Front he rose through the ranks until he was promoted to Sergeant in 1916. He saw action at the Battle of Delville Wood in July and the Battle of Guillemont in September 1916.
The following year he fought in the Battles of Vimy Ridge in April, Messines in June, Passchendaele in October and Cambrai in November 1917.
In 1918 he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for actions on 31 July 1917, east of Ypres "For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty under heavy machine gun fire. He established his section in position in front of our line, where he remained for two days until relieved, during which all his section except one became casualties. He dressed them all himself and sent them up to the dressing-station, setting a fine example of gallantry and devotion to duty under the most trying of circumstances. He was also recommended for the award of the Croix de Guerre by the French authorities.
In February 1918 he was given some home leave to visit family and friends in Apsley, but on his return was again in action at the Battles of St Quentin and Bapaume.
Thomas was killed in action at the Somme on 27 March 1918, aged 32, when the battalion were in billets at Vrely. At 8.30 am the enemy opened an intense bombardment and the battalion took up position on the high ground west of the village and dug themselves in. They remained there until about midday on the 28th.
Thomas has no known grave and his name is commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial, France.
(Although no medal card has been found, he would have been eligible for the 1914 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal).
Additional Information
His widow received a war gratuity of £24 and pay owing of £40 5s 11d. She also received a pension of £1 16s 3d a week for herself and her children.
N.B. On some records his service no. is given as 130, which seems to be the correct number, and not 1302 as on CWGC.
His brother Frederick served with the Labour Corps and brother Horace served with the Machine Gun Corps. Both survived the war but Horace was discharged in February 1917 as a result of wounds received. His brother-in-law Ernest Claridge was killed in 1916.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild, www.hemelatwar.org., www.dacorumheritage.org.uk., www.greatwarforum.org., www.hemelheroes.com.
