Thomas Alderman was born in one of the farms around Harpenden on the 10th July 1896, with his christening taking place 2 years later on 4th September 1898 in the parish church at Harpenden. Thomas mother Lucy was from an agricultural family, born in the hamlet of Dagnall in Bedfordshire, originally registered at her birth as Lucy Horwood then on the occasion of her mother Susan marrying William Chalkley a year later, Lucy acquired a new surname along with a move to Whipsnade, here she lived until her own marriage employed as a straw platter. Living next door in 1881 was 15 year old David Alderman a lodger and farm labourer from Studham, whose father had died when he was very young. Lucy was six years older than David when their marriage took place in the spring of 1888, Lucy combined both her previous surnames entering the church as Lucy Chalkley Horwood and left to start her married life as Lucy Alderman.

David worked with cattle and the family moved around as David worked at a number of farms during his working life. Lucy and David’s first child Rosella was born in Whipsnade in 1889. Next was Cecil in Wheathampstead, followed by Lillian from St Albans, then Thomas born in Harpenden in 1896, as was his younger brother William three years later, by 1901 the family had moved back to Wheathampstead.

Tragedy struck the heart of the family when William died in 1902, followed by Lucy, who died during the early months of 1906, leaving David to bring up the family although Rosella and Cecil both teenagers worked to bring home an income, 9 year old Thomas would need caring so Rosella gave up work and became the family’s housekeeper.

By 1911 David was working on a farm that brought the family to Hemel Hempstead, living in Wood Lane End. Rosella was the housekeeper. Cecil worked on a farm, Lillian worked at one of the paper mills and Thomas was an errand boy.

A memorial written about Thomas during the war in a local paper wrote,

Thomas was known as a keen footballer and employed at 

Midland Railways Hemel Hempstead station as a porter.

The pay for a clerk in 1914 was between £75.00 and £100.00 per annum, this depended on length of service and importance of the job. This railway line ran from the gas works in Boxmoor along to Harpenden and was locally known as the Nicky line. The track and station have long gone, the old railway line is a walk and cycle way and the station was built over with flats long ago, but a few names to the once grand Midland Railway Company still survive in Midland Hill, the Midland Hotel is still in business, positioned across the road from what was once Hemel Hempstead train station.

The Nation Union of Railwaymen register, on Find my past, has Thomas a member of the Boxmoor branch and employed as a Porter.

Tom’s war began when he volunteered for military service at Watford during January 1915 and posted to the 13th battalion Royal Fusiliers, 37th division assembling at Hounslow. This new Division had all the real difficulties with uniforms, guns and equipment not least all the soldiers were volunteers requiring training. Alfred Chisman also on the war memorial was an instructor in the division.

Eventually all the problems would be overcome and the division began to concentrate on Salisbury plain during April, billeted at Windmill camp, near to the town of Ludgershall. Here training became intensive and on the 25th June at Sidbury Hill an inspection of the troops by the King took place prior to embarkation for France. 

The departure for France started during the afternoon of the 30th of July, the battalion needed two trains to transport them to Folkestone where they embarked aboard the steamship the Golden Eagle, with an escort of two Royal Naval destroyers sailed to Boulogne arriving later the same day.

Just two weeks later on the 12th August near to the town of Armentieres, the battalion suffered its first death from shrapnel. Over the next 10 months 31 other soldiers would meet a similar fate.

Instructions in trench warfare began with platoons taking turns going into the front lines to be trained by experienced battalions who acted as instructors. 

After training the 37th division was considered reasonable experienced to occupy a section of the front line, arriving on 2nd September 1915 and taking over a section from the French army. The 13th Royal Fusiliers new home was around the village of Humbercamps, Benjamin Oakley was also here at the same time as Thomas serving in a division right next to the 37th. Alfred Chisman and Herbert Secretan both serving in the 10th battalion Royal Fusiliers, 37th Division were stationed in the next village of Foncqucvillers and it was here Frank Freeman was wounded in 1918 that led to his death.

Thomas suffered all the deprivations of front line service life during the winter of 1915, then on 3rd January he left the 13th battalion Royal Fusiliers for three and a half months, Thomas could have been wounded or to serve on a course before he is transferred to the 32nd battalion, Royal Fusiliers, 41st division on 27th May 1916. After nearly a year on active service Tom received some home leave during June of 1916. 

The 41st division arrived in France during May 1916, its 32nd battalion left Ploegsreert destined for the Somme where the battle had been raging for the previous two months, arriving on the 8th September and moved into Fricourt camp. The next few days are taken up with physical training, bayonet fighting and gas drill.

On the 14th a move to the front line begins and arriving in the trenches north east of Delville wood at 11 p.m. in readiness for the assault on the German lines the next morning.

On its first major engagement of the war the 41st Division is to be one of the leading assault Divisions, during a major offensive starting on the 15th September, known as the battle of Flers Courcelette. This attack for the infantry would be a repeat of the July 1st attack, only this time the huge cost in lives would be too well expected. New innovations and tactics were to be employed to reduce the casualties; one would be the introduction of an armoured vehicle, the tank, used for the first time in history this day.

The 41st Division positions were next to Delville Wood and Longueval village was half a mile away, where John Biswell met his death.

At 5.40a.m. The British artillery barrage began and the two leading battalions of 124th brigade formed up in no man's land. At 6.20 a.m. the troops advanced towards the German lines behind a creeping barrage at a rate of 50 yards a minute. The 32nd Royal Fusiliers advanced in 4 waves following behind but in support of the lead battalion, this was the10th Queens’s regiment.

Due to a very effective artillery barrage the initial German resistance was very weak.

The German front trench known as Tea support was over run very quickly, followed by Switch line falling to the advancing soldiers by 7.00 a.m. The fourth wave of the 32nd consolidated the gains but the other three waves began to get mixed up with the 10th Queens and 26th Royal fusiliers, German artillery shells fell into no-man's land which would impend the movement of the soldiers.

With the first objectives taken the second British objective was assaulted, this was Flers trench and by 7, 50 a.m. this was also occupied by the British.

With the capture of the village of Flers by 122nd brigade with the aid of the tanks all was going well with the advance and the third objective, Bulls road was occupied. By the middle of the afternoon some soldiers had reached the forth objective but in too few numbers to hold onto and were ordered to retire and consolidate the Bulls road.

Sometime during the day Tom was seriously wounded and moved back 12 Kilometres to XV corps main dressing station. It was here he died of his wounds.

The 32nd battalion casualties for the day were 293 of whom 87 were killed.

Tom is buried in Dartmoor Cemetery plot II. Row A. grave 12.

Link to Thomas Grave details

Thomas was 20 years old and included on the order of service for the parish church at Easter 1919 and named on the Leverstock Green,  Hemel Hempstead town, St Paul’s church Queensway, and the Baptist chapel Marlow’s war memorials.

Although Thomas obituary in the news paper stated he worked on the railway, he is not named in the railway book of honour.

Thomas sister Rosella, who took over the running of the home after Lucy died, married Robert King during 1914

Cecil married Agnes Simons in 1916. Her older brother having emigrated enlisted into the Canadian army in 1915 and served in France for two years, he came home on leave to attend his brother’s wedding over Christmas 1918, where unfortunately he developed pneumonia and died in January 1919 and is buried in Hemel Hempstead town cemetery.

Lillian married in St Albans, Hertfordshire, in June 1919 when she was 25 years old to George Childs.

LEVERSTOCK GREEN WAR MEMORIAL 1914 - 1918