Tragic soldier’s story revealed 100 years on
ATRAGIC story of a brave soldier has emerged on the 100th anniversary of his death.
Thomas Brown, from Macclesfield, survived four of the fiercest battles of the First World War and two years on the front line before being allowed to return home on leave.
But less than five weeks after heading back to the battle the private was killed.
The heartbreaking story has been revealed by researcher Rosie Rowley for Macclesfieldreflects. org.uk, a website which commemorates the town’s role in the First World War.
Rosie stumbled across the story in the Macclesfield Times, the predecessor of the Macclesfield Express, which included a photograph, and his hobbies.
She said: “I really felt I knew him after reading it.”
Thomas was born in Macclesfield to parents Ralph and Hannah.
In 1901 he lived at Prospect Buildings with his mother and siblings Esther, Alice, Joseph, Thomas, John William, Annie, Sarah, and Ralph, and studied at Duke Street national School.
By 1911 his dad had died and he had three more siblings Emily, Nelly, and Laura.
After school Thomas got a job as embroiderer at Hewetson’s silk mill before he enlisted in September 1914.
He was drafted to France a year and spent two years fighting in Europe engaging with the enemy in the Somme, Vimy Ridge, Ypres and Messines.
The private, who was serving with the 10th Battalion Cheshire Regiment, returned home for furlough where he was staying with his sister on Wellington Street.
Tragically Thomas went back to the front line only to be killed five weeks later, on August 30, 1917 in Belgium. He was just 24 years old.
Thomas was a talented boxer and took part in tournaments at the Macclesfield Skating Rink. While serving in the Army in France in 1916 he won a cup for boxing.
It wasn’t the only tragedy to befall the large family. Thomas’s brother William was killed at Suvla Bay in August 1915.
However two other brothers, Joseph and Jack, also fought in the war, but survived.
Thomas has no known grave but is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial in Belgium. He is also commemorated in Macclesfield on the Park Green, Town Hall, and Macclesfield Sunday School war memorials.