Thomas Childs

LEVERSTOCK GREEN WAR MEMORIAL 1914 - 1918

THOMAS CHILDS 

Thomas Childs named after his father and born on 8th February 1883, at London Colney, with his baptism in St Peters church in London Colney on the 6th May of that year, both Thomas parents originated from London Colney and agricultural families, Thomas mother Hannah Kiff was from Tittenhanger in London Colney.

When Thomas and Hannah married during the winter of 1877, Hannah already had a baby girl, Millicent  born on St Valentine's Day 1876, Millicent's father was a George Hill. Thomas and Hannah's children were Edward born 1879, Rose born 1880 and Thomas all born in London Colney. Annie, Arthur and Harry were from Radlett were Thomas senior had taken a job as a Park Keeper at Newberries Mansion. The last child born to the family was Frank in Shenley around 1897. A few years later Thomas senior was the farmer at North End Farm, Leverstock Green, with his family in residence. On the 1901 census the three older boys were all employed at the farm.

Thomas was probably still living at North End Farm when in 1915 aged 31 he married on 29th May in the village church to 30 year old Lizzie Pearce of Rucklers Lane. The following year on 16th May their son Reggie Thomas Childs was born. Thomas trade given at the baptism had changed; he was now a gardener and lived with his wife at Leather Bottle terrace. The family would live here until after the end of the war.

Thomas service records were destroyed during the bombing of London in the Second World War so I have researched the service numbers of his fellow soldiers and from the records of the few that did survive the war it would appear Thomas military service began most certainly on the 10th July 1916,  after basic training he was posted to France towards the end of November of that year and Killed in Action serving with the 2nd battalion Bedfordshire Regiment.

Thomas was killed in action on the 1st July 1918, below is an account of the attack.

ACCOUNT OF OPERATIONS AT BOUZINCOURT SPUR 30TH JUNE to 3RD JULY 1918

At 9.35 p.m. on the 30th June the 2nd Bedfordshire Regiment, in conjunction with the 12th Division on left and 6th Northampton’s on right attacked the enemy trenches on the BOUZINCOURT SPUR N.W. of ALBERT. The attack was carried out by “B” Company under Lieut. H.B.Stewart, with “C” Company under Lieut.K.J.Ritchie, responsible for wiring the captured line and one platoon of “A” Company Carrying Party. “A” Company (less one Platoon) and “D” Company were in reserve in MELBOURNE TRENCH. The attack was carried out under a smoke screen and Stokes Barrages and was entirely successful, all objectives being gained, a large number of the enemy killed, three Machine Guns captured and about 20 prisoners taken. In addition Lieut. W.S.Oliver-Jones with a small party of men successfully bombed a number of dug-outs in the sunken road which were full of the enemy. Actual casualties during the assault were about one Officer 35 Other Ranks. Owing to enemy heavy artillery and Machine Gun fire “C” Company were unable to get any wire out and a Counter-Attack made by the enemy at 2.0 a.m. on 1st July succeeded in driving in our most advanced posts. At 7.30 a.m. a Counter Attack organised by Lieut. H.B.Stewart in conjunction with the 6th Queens on the left succeeded in regaining these posts but they were again lost at 4.30 p.m. after a long bombing contest. At 8.50 p.m. the enemy delivered a heavy counter attack on the whole front and succeeded in driving in the 12th Division on our left from their advanced position. “B” Company however held fast and at 2.0 a.m. on the 2nd July they were relieved by “D” Company under Captain Reiss MC MM. A quieter day followed but at 9.25 p.m. after two hours heavy shelling, in the course of which the enemy obliterated a large portion and knocked out two Lewis Gun teams, the enemy attacked under a very heavy 5.9” barrage and succeeded in recapturing their original front line In spite of a magnificent resistance put up by a party under Captain Reiss and Lieut.Hughes. The total Casualties during the attack were 7 officers and 146 other ranks.  

Lizzie was living at number 2 Alban Cottages Leverstock Green in the early 1920s.

REMEMBERED

Thomas has no known grave so is named on the Pozieres memorial, panel 28, 29. He is also named on the Leverstock Green Memorial and the Hemel Hempstead town memorial.

Pozieres Memorial

The Memorial encloses Pozieres British Cemetery which is a little south-west of the village on the north side of the main road, D929, from Albert to Pozieres. On the road frontage is an open arcade terminated by small buildings and broken in the middle by the entrance and gates. Along the sides and the back, stone tablets are fixed in the stone rubble walls bearing the names of the dead grouped under their Regiments.The Memorial covers the period of crisis in March and April 1918 when the Allied Fifth Army was driven back by overwhelming numbers across the former Somme battlefields, and the months that followed before the Advance to Victory, which began on 8 August 1918. The Memorial commemorates over 14,000 casualties of the United Kingdom and 300 of the South African Forces who have no known grave and who died on the Somme from 21 March to 7 August 1918.

LEVERSTOCK GREEN WAR MEMORIAL 1914 - 1918