Thomas Smalley
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
Thomas Smalley was born in 1891 at Hucknall and was the son of John a coal miner loader and Kate Smalley née Sanders of 31, Myra St., Loughborough. His father John was born in 1855 at East Leak and his mother Catherine Sanders was born in 1862 at East Leake she died in 1921, they were married in 1879 their marriage was recorded in the Loughborough registration district, they went on to have 8 children, sadly 3 died in infancy or early childhood, their children were Sarah b1879, Emma b1885, John Edward b1887 William b1889, and Thomas b1891 In the 1911 census his parents are living at 15 Curtis Street, Hucknall and are shown as John 50 yrs a coal miner loader, he is living with his wife Kate 49 yrs In the same 1911 census we find that Thomas has left the family home and has joined the Army, he is living in Barracks at Military Road, Colchester, he is shown as being 21 yrs a Private, a cook in the Scottish Rifles.
Private Thomas Smalley, enlisted in Nottingham whilst residing at Loughborough and served with the 2nd Battalion Cameronians (Scottish Rifles). He landed in France on 5th November 1914 and was killed in action at Neuve Chapelle on 10th March 1915. He has no known grave, his name is commemorated on the Le Touret Memorial.
Article published 10th April 1915 in the Beeston Gazette and Echo :- “BROTHERS IN ARMS. “ONE RE-ENLISTS TO FIND THE OTHER, BUT DEATH PREVENTS THE UNION. “Quite a pathetic story surrounds the death of Private Thomas Smalley, a Hucknall man, of the 2nd Scottish Rifles, who was killed, according to authoritative news just to hand, on March 10th, indicating that he fell a victim at Neuve Chapelle or in that neighbourhood. His photograph appears on the left, and on the right is that of his brother, Private J. E. Smalley, who is also in the Scottish Rifles, but in the 1st battalion. “Thomas Smalley, who makes the eighth Hucknall victim of the war, was 25 years of age, and enlisted nearly eight years ago, and has been stationed at various places, including Malta. When war broke out he was drafted to France. During that period he had not been seen by his brother, J. E. Smalley, who, being a time-expired soldier, decided to re-enlist in the hope of locating his brother. In that mission he was unsuccessful, for they were 300 miles apart, and now all hopes of a meeting of the brothers is abandoned. “It may be mentioned that the parents of the soldiers resided in Hucknall until a couple of years ago, when they removed to Loughborough. Mr. William Smalley (brother) and Mrs. Smallwood (sister) still reside in Hucknall, the former in Curtis street and the latter in Titchfield street. “A few weeks ago a letter reached this office from Private J. E. Smalley expressing thanks for his Christmas gift, which had had a circuitous journey. He hoped that good recruiting was going on in Hucknall, for they could do with all the men they could get.” Above article is courtesy of Jim Grundy and his facebook pages Small Town Great War Hucknall 1914-1918.
