Name
Thomas Henry Swallow
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
06/08/1918
30
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Lance Corporal
G/10213
The Buffs (East Kent) Regiment
7th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
BEACON CEMETERY, SAILLY-LAURETTE
IV. C. 15.
France
Headstone Inscription
No Report
UK & Other Memorials
Leavesden Asylum/Hospital War Memorial, Leavesden,
Watford Roll of Honour,
Watford Museum, (as Swallon),
Not on the Abbots Langley memorials
Biography
Thomas Henry Swallow was not recorded in the Abbots Langley Parish Records. His connection with the village was identified through a search of the Ancestry online records in 2014. Thomas Henry was born in Abbots Langley in 1888 (Baptised 20 Jan 1888) to Thomas Swallow, a coachman, and Mary (nee Streader, poss Strader). His parents were married on 21 Dec 1873 at St Michael’s, St Alban’s, Herts. Mary died 1902 in Abbot’s Langley, Herts, aged 54, and was buried 4 Nov at St Lawrence’s, Abbot’s Langley. Thomas remarried 12 Nov 1904 at St Lawrence’s, Abbot’s Langley, to Elizabeth FIELD; he died 1922 in Watford aged 68, and was buried 27 Dec in Vicarage Road Cemetery, Watford; Elizabeth died 1935 in Watford aged 74, and was buried 18 Sept, also in Vicarage Road Cemetery.
Thomas was the third of six sons and had five sisters. On the 1891 Census, aged 3 he lived in Abbot’s Langley, with his parents and five siblings and on the 1901 Census Thomas was recorded as one of seven children living at Asylum Road, Abbots Langley. His father, Thomas, was employed as a Coachman at Leavesden Asylum.
Thomas married Edith Coming Tyler on 1 Apr 1907 at St Lawrence’s, Abbots Langley and they had two children. Edith died in 1909 in Watford aged 23, and was buried 30 Jan in Vicarage Road Cemetery. Thomas then married Ethel May Taylor in the Autumn of 1910. On the 1911 Census he was listed as a Sugar Boiler, living at 43 Regent Street, Watford with his second wife and by the time that he enlisted in 1915 the couple had four children and Thomas was employed as a Kitchenman at the Leavesden Asylum.
Thomas attested on 16 Nov 1915 at Watford giving his address as 53, Windsor Road, Watford, he was a kitchen man aged 28 of Watford, 5’7″ tall. He was immediately assigned to the Army Reserve and remained at home until mobilization which occurred on 30 May 1916 when he was mobilised as Private G/10213 Buffs (East Kent) Regiment and posted to 3rd (Reserve) Battalion for initial training. He served at Home from 30 May to 12 November 1916, during which time, on 7 October, he was fitted with dentures.
He was “Confined to Barracks” for seven days at Dover on 3 Aug 1916 for “not complying with an order given by an NCO”. On 7 Oct was fitted with dentures. He was posted to 7th (Service) Battalion Buffs on 13 Nov 1916 joining them in the Arras Sector.
On 9 Mar 1917 Thomas was admitted to No 4 Casualty Clearing Station (CCS) in the Field, and being diagnosed with nephritis (inflammation of the kidneys). He was transferred to 14 General Hospital at Wimereux on 12 Mar 1917 and on 17 Mar 1917 embarked on Hospital Ship “Princess Elizabeth” to return to England. He remained at the East Suffolk and Ipswich Hospital at Ipswich until 4 Jun 1917, and at other hospitals in England until 7 Nov 1917, when he returned to France.
He joined the 6th Buffs on 10 Nov, and on 20 Nov 1917 was admitted to No 5 CCS having received a machine gun-shot wound to the arm. He was sent by Ambulance Train, firstly to 12 General Hospital at Rouen, and then by Hospital Ship “Warilda” to England on 26 Nov 1917. Between 27 Nov and 7 Dec 1917 he was admitted to the Military Hospital at Carrington, Nottingham, and then was transferred to the Military Convalescent Hospital at Ashton in Makerfield. He spent time at other hospitals and was finally admitted to Mill Lane Hospital in Manchester, before being discharged from there to Home Leave on 25 Feb 1918. Following a spell at 3rd (Reserve) Battalion, He returned to France on 5 April, and joined 7th Buffs. On 28 May 1918 he was appointed unpaid Lance Corporal, and on 6th August 1918 was killed in action.
In Nov 1920 Ethel’s uncle contacted the War Office in an attempt to obtain the memorial Plaque to commemorate Thomas, for his niece. A Memorial Plaque and Scroll was awarded to the family of every serviceman who died in the War. Thomas’ Plaque had already been sent to his second wife and family, and Ethel wished to have the Plaque to remember her father The War Office declined, saying that duplicates could not be issued, and suggested that the Uncle approach Ethel Mary to ask her to hand over the original.
Thomas Swallow was buried at Beacon Cemetery, Sailly-Laurette, east of Amiens, Somme France. He was not commemorated on the Abbots Langley War Memorial.
He was entitled to the Victory and British War Medals and was killed in action.
Additional Information
War Gratuity of £9 10s and arrears of £4 10s 10d was paid to his widow.On 24th February 1919 his wife, was awarded a pension of 43 shillings and 9 pence per week (approximately £2-33 in modern money) for herself and five children. One of the children – Ethel – from his first marriage was living with her grand-mother at 291 High Street, Watford, and ten per cent of the pension was made payable to her Guardian.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Roger Yapp - www.backtothefront.org, Sue Carter (Research) and Watford Museum (ROH on line via www.ourwatfordhistory.org.uk), Jonty Wild,
