Thomas James Harold

Rank:	Driver
Street:
Townland:	Rathcline Glebe
Town/Village:	Lanesborough
Civil Parish:	Rathcline
Catholic Parish:
Country:
Alternative Address:	Kingston-on-Thames, Surrey; Wolverhampton, West-Midlands, England; Kenagh, Co. Longford
Census 1901:	Resident at Heath Town, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire (now West-Midlands)
Census 1911:	Resident in Kenagh www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Longford/Kilcommock/Keenagh_Town/581981/
Regiment/Unit:	Army Service Corps, 35th Divisional Train, No. 4 Company
Regiment Number:	T/37029
Date of Death:	12-08-1918
Cause:	Killed in action, Action at Tieghem
Memorial:	Cabaret-Rouge British Cemetery, Souchez, France
Information:	Although born in Kingston-upon-Thames, c.1895, Thomas's family moved to County Longford after 1901. His father, James, was born in Scotland and was a surveyor by trade, working with the Ordnance Survey when living in England; his mother, Emma was from Multon in Suffolk. Thomas's elder sisters were born in Yorkshire, while his younger siblings were born in Lincolnshire and Staffordshire. Dvr Harold enlisted in Longford. He was killed in action in France, while serving with the R.A.S.C, likely with Horsed Transport given the letter T in his regimental number. At the time of his death, Thomas was serving in the 35th Division; they were initially based in Britain, being deployed to France in early 1916* He died likely during offensives carried out by his division against the Wotan Stellung and Siegfried Stellung, the latter better known to us as the Hindenburg Line ahead of the full-scale Battles of the Hindenburg Line, which began on the 12 September. Thomas was initially buried in Terderchem (French) Military Cemetery, close to the Belgian border, before being reinterred in Cabaret-Rouge c.1922. He is also remembered on the family grave plot in Rathcline Cemetery, Lanesborough.
Parents Names:	Son of James B. Harold and the Emma (née Wybow), of Rathcline Glebe, Lanesborough.
Notes:	*As a result of not going to battle until 1916, no soldier in this Division was awarded the 1914-15 Star, regardless of when they enlisted. This makes it difficult to determine when Thomas enlisted, as his record does not appear to survive.
Links:	Link to CWGC entry; link to family grave on Find A Grave;