Tom William Cragg
- Family History
- Military History
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Thomas (Tom) William was the son of Joseph and Jane Cragg (née Tow). His father Joseph was born in Dry Doddington, Lincolnshire, in 1859, the son of Mark and Elizabeth Cragg. His mother Jane Tow was born in Farndon, Newark, in 1855. They were married in 1882 and had six children, five boys and one girl: John Edward b. Cotham 1884 bap. Cotham St Michael; Annie Elizabeth b. Hawton 1886 bap. Hawton All Saints; George b. Long Bennington 1888 bap. St Michael; Thomas William b. Long Bennington 1891 (reg. J/F/M) bap. St Michael 25 January 1891; Joseph Henry b. Lincolnshire 1893 bap. St Michael and Robert b. Cotham 1898 bap. St Michael. In 1891 Joseph, a railway platelayer with the Great Northern Railway, his wife and their four children, John, Annie, George and Tom, were living on Bedlam Row, Long Bennington. The family was still living in Long Bennington (Asherton Hill) ten years later in 1901, all six children were in the home on the night of the census: John a junior clerk, Annie, George a farm boy, Tom, Joseph and Robert. By 1911 Joseph and Jane had moved to Valley Lane Cottages, Cotham. Only three of their children were still living at home; John a coal agent, George a waggoner and Robert who was still at school. Annie was a domsetic servant in Farndon, Nottinghamshire, in the household of Charles Huskinson, a solicitor, and his family. Joseph was a waggoner on a farm and living with the farmer/grazier, George Waddington and his family, at the Manor House, Cotham. Tom was an apprentice grocer, employed by Charles Ablewhite of Long Bennington, and a boarder with another apprentice grocer, James Cope, in the household of Thomas Bowes, a tailor, whose son, William was an assistant grocer. Tom's parents were still living at Valley Lane Cottages, Cotham, at the time of their son's death in 1919. Jane Cragg probably died in 1937 and her widower Joseph in 1938. They had probably returned to live in Long Bennington as two of their children, Annie (d. 1958) and George (d. 1946) who were unmarried, were living together at Rose Cottage, Back Lane, Long Bennington, in 1939 when the England & Wales Register was compiled.
Served with 2nd/1st Nottinghamshire Yeomanry. Renumbered 275599 in 1917. Transferred to 1st Worcestershire Yeomanry (Queen’s Own Worcestershire Hussars). Whilst his Medal Roll only shows overseas service with the Worcestershire Yeomanry, although he has a Sherwood Rangers renumber, the CWGC headstone schedule and the cemetery register both list him as Sherwood Rangers. Enlisted 11th November 1914. Entered theatre June 1917. The 1st Worcestershire Yeomanry took part in the last cavalry charge on guns in British military history, the Charge at Huj, in November 1917. After Tom joined, the regiment took part in the following actions: Third Battle of Gaza, Battle of Beersheba (31st October 1917), El Maghar (13th and 14th November 1917), Defence against counter-attacks before Jerusalem (27th November – 3rd December 1917), Second Trans-Jordan Raid (30th April – 4th May 1918), The Final Offensive Battle of Samakh (25th September 1918) and the Capture of Damascus (1st October 1918). Tom died on 12th March 1919 of smallpox at No. 21 General Hospital, Alexandria, Egypt. He is buried in Alexandria (Hadra) War Memorial Cemetery (grave ref. Row C Grave 204).
Thomas William's cousin, Francis Mark Cragg, the son of John Cragg, his father's older brother, served in the Canadian Infantry and was killed in action on 9 August 1918. (See record on this Roll of Honour). At least two of Tom's four brothers also served in the war. John Edward, a coal agent, who by now was married (Ada Johnson, July 1914) with a son, Cecil Edward (b. 1915), attested on 9 December 1915 in the Royal Garrison Artillery (113296). He transferred to the Army Reserve the following day but was moblised on 4 August 1916. John served at home until 3 April 1917 then served overseas, his service record gives both India and South Africa and MEF Mesopotamia. However, he was invalided home the same year, arriving in Devonport on 16 August 1917 and admitted to a military hospital. In August 1917 he was transferred to the Labour Corps (593068, 411th Agricultural Company) and continued to serve at home until his discharge from the army on 12 September 1919 when he was discharged to his home in Cotham. Robert, a fitter, served in the Royal Naval Air Service from 1 November 1917 (Acting Air Mechanic I (E)) transferring to the RAF (Air Mechanic Class 2) on 1 April 1918. He trained at Manston, Uxbridge, and on 25 May 1918 was posted to 92 Squadron, Uxbridge. Robert served in France from 24 May 1918 until 31 March 1919 and then discharged to the RAF 'G' Reserve on 3 May 1919. CWGC additional information: 'Son of Joseph and Jane Cragg, of Valley Cottage, Cotham, Newark.' CWGC headstone personal inscription: 'Gone but not forgotten from father mother brothers and sister' Grantham Journal, 29th March 1919: 'OUR HEROES Trooper T. W. CRAGG, of Long Bennington. 'We regret to record the death of Trooper T. W. Cragg, No. 275599, 1st Worcester Yeomanry, Egyptian Expeditionary Force, who succumbed to small-pox, on March 14th 1919, at No. 21 General Hospital, Alexandria, Egypt. A wave of sorrow passed over the village on the receipt of the sad news - his happy disposition had endeared him to all - and much sympathy is felt for his sorrowing parents, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Cragg. The deceased, who was 28 years of age, enlisted on November 11th, 1914, was trained at Retford, Swaffham, Brentwood, and Salisbury Plain was drafted overseas in June, 1917, and saw active service in Egypt and Palestine. In a letter to his parents, dated March 2nd, 1919, he said he was in excellent health, but on March 13th a cable was received that he was dangerously ill, and, later, the sad news came from the Record Office, York, that he had passed away on March 14th (sic). Before enlistment he was in the employ of Mr. Charles Ablewhite, grocer, Long Bennington, who held him in highest esteem. He is the third of Mr. Ablewhite’s assistants to make the supreme sacrifice.' Note: The date of death in the report does not tally with that officially quoted. Newark Advertiser, ‘In Memoriam’, 12 March 1930: ‘Cragg. In loving memory of a dear son and brother. T W Cragg, Cotham, died March 14, 1919. Egypt. Sadly Missed. From Mam, Dad, Sister and brother.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)
