Thomas Henry Johnson
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
Thomas was born in 1893 at Austerfield the son of George Ernest an agricultural labourer and Emma Johnson He had six siblings and was a joiners labourer.He was educated at the village school and sang with the choir at St Helenas Church, Sunday school Austerfield By the time of his death his mother had already died and his father lived with the rest of his family at 4, Coronation Terrace, Austerfield, Bawtry, Doncaster,
He joined the 5th Territorial battalion of the King's Yorkshire Light infantry some time before the outbreak of the war. Once war was declared he at once volunteered for active service and joined up on 3rd September 1914. He went with his battalion to France in April 1915 and served with them in the trenches near to Ypres and Albert. he was killed in action near to Ypres.One of his comrades told his parents that he had been shot by a sniper and died instantaneously. One of his employers wrote to his parents stating ' If he served his King as well as he served me then all I can say is he was a faithful and hard working soldier'
His name is commemorated at Thiepval, The Somme His brother Herbert enlisted on 23rd may 1918 and served with the 20th Hussars throughout the war and survived. He was one of the five Austerfield boys who went together to enlist at Doncaster of whom three were killed during the war.
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