Thomas Townrow
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
Thomas was born in East Markham in 1890 and was the son of John Henry a bricklayer and Mary Annie Townrow, of Farm Lane, East Markham, Newark. John and Mary had eleven children, however sadly 3 died in infancy. Thomas had siblings George - Leonard - John and Gerald living with him and his parents at Farm Lane in the 1901 census. Thomas is 10 years of age. By the time of the 1911 census Thomas, now 20 years, has left the family home and has joined the army. We find him living in barracks at Crownhill Fort, Crownhill, Plymouth, Devon; he is serving the 2nd battalion, Sherwood Foresters Regiment.
Thomas enlisted in Retford and served with the 2nd battalion Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derbys) regiment. His medal index card (in the name Townroy) shows he disembarked in France on 8th September 1914. He was killed in action on 20th November 1917; a surviving relative has said that Thomas was a reserve stretcher bearer and was shot by a sniper while assisting a stretcher party. He is buried in Fifteen Ravine British Cemetery, Villers Plouich, Nord, France, grave reference II H 12.
He is listed as 'sergeant' on the East Markham war memorial. There was a family memorial to Thomas in the East Markham Methodist Church on High Street; the church closed c.2000 and is now a private residence. The memorial was a brass plaque, 16"x10", and included the dedication, 'Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends.' It is understood that when the church closed the memorial was returned to a surviving relative.
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