Thomas Hill 1894 – 1916 (128 Finchampstead Rd)
Thomas, (known to his family as Tom) was the son of Mary (nee Matthews) and Alfred Hill, he was born in 1894. He had 2 brothers George and Austin Alfred and 3 sisters, Ellen, Agnes and Margery. By 1911 George (a boot repairer), Agnes (a houseworker), Margery (a domestic housemaid), and Thomas (a domestic houseboy), were living together apparently without their parents in Finchampstead Road, Wokingham. His mother had died in 1898.
Thomas joined the East Surrey Regiment, 9th Battalion and became a Lance Sergeant.
He died on 7th January 1916 and is buried at Menin Road South Military Cemetery, Belgium. The Menin Road ran east and a little south from Ypres (now Ieper) to a front line which varied only a few kilometres during the greater part of the war. The position of this cemetery was always within the Allied lines. It was first used in January 1916 by the 8th South Staffords and the 9th East Surreys, and it continued to be used by units and Field Ambulances until the summer of 1918. The cemetery was increased after the Armistice when graves were brought in from isolated positions on the battlefields to the east and the following cemetery:- MENIN ROAD NORTH MILITARY CEMETERY was on the North side of the road at almost the same point. It was used by the units and Field Ambulances of another Corps from May, 1915, to August, 1916, and again to a small extent in 1917 and 1918.
From Donna Smith: Great Grand Niece of Thomas Hill:
My Dad would be proud to see all this online. My Gran was Agnes and her eldest son John was killed in WW2 in Burma. Before he went to war he worked at The Wokingham Times.
I am pretty sure my Great Uncle Tom was younger when he died as am pretty
sure my Dad and Auntie said he gave his age as quite a bit older to be able to
go to war.
My family lived at 128 Finchampstead Rd up until 2005 when my Aunt died.. they
built and owned the cottages between 128 and The Two Poplars. The also built The Two Poplars which in those days was called The Engineers’ Arms’.
My Great Great Granddad’s name was Bennett whom also lived at 128 Finchampstead Rd.
Thank you and look forward to any information you have.