Paying tribute to our brave WWI soldiers...
THROUGHOUT the centenary of the First World War, we have been remembering the soldiers from the Loughborough area who lost their lives during the conflict.
Here, with the help of Marigold Cleeve and a small number of researchers from the Loughborough Carillon Tower and War Memorial Museum, we continue to look back at those who made the ultimate sacrifice in March 1917.
George Tomlinson was born in Loughborough in 1896, the son of John Tomlinson and Lizzie Ann Tomlinson (née Clarke) who were married in Loughborough in 1885.
George’s father was a shoemaker and shoe repairer and in 1901 the Tomlinson family lived at 34 Nottingham Road, Loughborough.
George had three brothers, Samuel, Douglas and John, and one sister Gertrude. Two other siblings had died young. After George’s father died in 1907, aged 42, the family moved to 106 Freehold Street.
In 1911 young George, aged 15, was a bootmaker’s and boot repairer’s apprentice.
George’s mother later moved to 53 Burder Street.
George enlisted in Loughborough in January 1915 and joined the Leicestershire Regiment as Private 16469.
His service record has not survived but it is known that, after a year’s training, he was sent to Flanders to join the 1st Battalion in January 1916.
The 1st battalion of the Leicesters was part of the 71st Infantry Brigade of the Sixth Division of the Army.
In January and February 1916 the battalion was holding the trenches in the Wieltje sector of the Ypres Salient with breaks at billets in Poperinghe.
Much of the time was spent patrolling enemy trenches amid occasional enemy shelling and sniping.
In March the enemy began a heavy bombardment and in mid-March the battalion was withdrawn to St. Jean-Ter-Bierzen to work on a new railway.
In April 1916 the whole of the 71st Infantry Brigade was concentrated in a camp outside Calais where ten days training took place, after which the 1st Battalion of the Leicesters moved to the Wormhoudt area.
From the trenches here during April to June the battalion bombed the enemy with vigour.
The first half of July was spent in billets in Volkeringhove and Wormhoudt and after a return to the front-line trenches on August 2 the battalion entrained at Proven for Candas in the Somme.
From Candas they proceeded to a camp in Mailly-Maillet Wood and on August 14 took over the line in front of Beaumont-Hamel.
The 71st Brigade was now part of the Fourth Division of the Army which was preparing for an offensive in September.
On August 27 the battalion left the MaillyMaillet camp and arrived at the assembly area near Méaulte on September 11.
The attack began on September 15 where the battalion found itself opposed to the 9th Bavarian Infantry Regiment.
On September 17 the battalion was withdrawn to Maltz Horn Farm and then to billets at Ville sur Ancre, having suffered many casualties.
On September 26 the battalion was sent to trenches east of Morval followed by rest in billets at Guillemont.
The battalion had only a supporting role in the Battle of Le Transloy (October 1-18) and by October 21 as back in billets in Corbie.
On October 24 the battalion was ordered to move to Fouquières les Béthune, which they reached on October 29.
For the greater part of November 1916 the battalion remained in reserve and was involved in training of all kinds.
In November 1916 George was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal.
The citation in the London Gazette for November 25, 1916, reads: “For conspicuous gallantry in action. He commanded and fought four trench mortars with great courage and determination.
“He stood on the parapet to observe the fire of his guns.
“He set a splendid example throughout the operations.”
During 1916 he was twice promoted from Private to Corporal and from Corporal to Sergeant.
The 1st Leicesters spent January 1917 by turns in the front line and in billets at Mazingarbe.
During February the battalion carried out a number of raids on the enemy’s trenches before being relieved for a break at Montmorency Barracks, Béthune.
On the last day of February and March 1 the whole 4th Division of the Army moved to the area north of Loos and the 1st Leicesters went into the trenches at Philosophe, an industrial village on the main road west of Loos-enGohelle.
On March 16, 1917, George, who at the time was attending the 71st Trench Mortar Battery, was admitted to No. 33 Casualty Clearing Station in Béthune.
He was seriously wounded in the right shoulder and head.
The wound became poisoned and he was transferred to No. 9 British Red Cross Hospital at Calais (otherwise known as the Duchess of Sutherland’s Hospital) where he died on March 27, 1917, aged 21.
George’s mother received the following letter from the hospital: “I am very sorry to have to tell you that your son died suddenly from his wounds on Tuesday evening, he was very badly wounded in the shoulder and the poisoning from the wound got to his heart.
“He has been buried in the cemetery just outside Calais besides many other brave men who have so nobly given their lives for king and country.”
George is buried in Calais Southern Cemetery, F. Row 5, 3.
Hubert Frank Chapman was born in 1886 in Loughborough, the son of John Ernest Theophilus Chapman and his first wife Elizabeth Anne Chapman (née Cumberland) who were married in Loughborough in 1876.
In 1881 the couple lived at 9 Market Place and Hubert’s father was a boot and shoe maker employing 14 men and three women.
By 1891 the family had moved to 34 Park Lane, Loughborough, and by 1901 to Westfields, Ashby Road. Hubert’s father was now a shoe dealer. Hubert had two brothers, Harold and John, and four sisters, Edith, Dorothy, Helen and Gladys.
Hubert’s mother died in 1911 and in 1913 his father was married again to Kate Swaffor Judges, a headmaster’s daughter, at the Parish Church of St. Marylebone, London.
Hubert was educated at Loughborough Grammar School and Wellingborough Grammar School, Northamptonshire.
He became a civil engineer and on January 28, 1908, was admitted to the Howe and Charnwood Lodge of Freemasons.
He subsequently held a government position in West Africa and was home on leave when war broke out.
Released from his duties, he was commissioned as a Temporary 2nd Lieutenant in the Corps of Royal Engineers on November 17, 1914.
On December 26, 1914, Hubert married Lizzie Kate Moss at Emmanuel Church, Loughborough.
Lizzie Kate, the youngest daughter of Edwin Moss of Loughborough, was a contralto vocalist professionally known as ‘Lysette Mostyn’ and later as ‘Madame Mostyn’.
She gave performances in the Aeolian Hall, London, and in Edinburgh, Portsmouth, Newcastle, Hull and Belfast.
Hubert initially served in France from where he was sent home suffering from shell shock and a general paralysis.
He was then posted to Egypt in January 1916.
After only three weeks in Egypt, however, he was invalided home.
He died at the London County Asylum, Banstead, Surrey, on March 31, 1917, aged 32.
His funeral was conducted in Loughborough by Canon Pitts, Rector of Loughborough, and at the express wish of his family without military honours.
Hubert was buried in Loughborough Cemetery, Grave 12/297.
One year later, on April 25, 1918, Hubert’s widow married Jasper Grant at St. Mary’s Church, Fulham, Middlesex.
Jasper Grant was a widower and chairman of the Brookfield Linen Company Ltd in Belfast.
He was also a Director of the Belfast Hippodrome Theatre.
On her marriage, Lizzie Kate moved to Brookfield, Lisburn Road, Belfast.
Hubert is remembered on the All Saints Church Memorial, Loughborough, on the memorial at Loughborough Grammar School and on the memorial at Wellingborough Grammar School, as well as on the Loughborough Carillon.
Hubert’s brother John Theophilus Chapman, who served with the 1/5th Leicestershire Regiment, died of wounds received in action in 1915.
Their cousin Arthur Donald Chapman, who was with the 1/5th North Staffordshire Regiment, was killed on the first day of the Somme in 1916.