Gunner. “A” Battery. 178th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Service Number 127166.
Early life:
Thomas was the only son of Thomas and Elizabeth Howland, who had been married in 1895.
His father Thomas from the Isle of Man was previously married (in 1870) to Catherine Ann Martin also from the Isle of Man. They’d had at least five daughters, all of whom were quite a bit older than Thomas. They were Catherine, born in 1872; Elizabeth, born in 1873; Emily, born in 1875; Ann, born in 1877. They were all born on the Isle of Man. The youngest was Alice, born in 1880 in Keighley, suggesting they’d not been here for long before she was born. They were living at 7, Gate Street in Keighley in the 1881 and 1891 censuses.
Catherine died at the age of 42 in 1889 and Thomas remarried six years later to Elizabeth Jane Quiggin who was also from the Isle of Man. Thomas was a stone mason. Thomas who was their only son, was born on Thursday the 26th of November in 1896 and he was baptised two days later on Saturday, the 28th of November at St. Mary’s church on Dalton Lane (this is now the site of a large car dealership.)
By the time of the 1901 census all their daughters except Emily had left home. They were living at 5, Gate Street, part of Worth Village to the East of Keighley, near to Thwaites. Thomas senior was 54 and a stone mason, Elizabeth was 46 and keeping house; Emily was aged 24, a worsted washer; Thomas was just four.
In the 1911 census they were still living at 5, Gate Street. Thomas senior was aged 64 and still a stone mason. Elizabeth was 56 and looking after the family home. They stated that they had been married for 16 years and had just one child from their marriage.
Thomas was aged 14 and was employed as a mill hand (doffer) for a local worsted manufacturer.
War service:
Thomas enlisted at Keighley however, there are no surviving Army service records for him. We know he must have been a later enlistment and appears to have travelled overseas after the beginning of 1916, because there is no record of a 1914-1915 Star being awarded to him. His service number was 127166. A calculation based on his soldier’s effects war gratuity, works out at an enlistment date of November 1915. This suggests he attested with the Derby Scheme before the end of that year, and was probably called up for service in the early part of 1916. We have no proof that this was the case though, without service records to back it up.
WO-95/1928. War diary:
178th Brigade R.F.A., 40th infantry Division.
In the field.
November 28th:
Hostile Artillery active around Sugar Factory & GRAINCOURT.
November 29th:
47th Division (less artillery) relieved the 62nd Division in the line. 140th Brigade relieving 187, & covered by left Group, 141 Brigade relieved the 186 Brigade & covered by right Group. (groups under 62nd D.A.)
November 30th:
8.40 AM. enemy put down heavy Artillery barrage, also smoke barrage on left of BOURLON Wood, under cover of which he heavily attacked our positions on 2nd, 47th & Guards Divisional fronts.
Our batteries opened on their S.O.S. barrage at 8.46.
At 11.20 enemy seen advancing seen advancing in strength over the ridge in E. 16.
The whole of the Group switched to the left & fired over open sights, rapid for 15 minutes, when enemy were seen to retire, disorganised.
12.55. Group stopped firing.
During afternoon, 2.45pm. S.O.S. seen to go up over Sugar Factory; opened on S.O.S. barrage line at 2.47 pm.
about 5pm situation clearer, and we stopped firing.
Captain Reid D/178, and 2nd Lieutenant Sawyer, wounded.
In the field.
1st December:
Hostile artillery active on GRAINCOURT & the SUGAR FACTORY.
Enemy attacked in force on our left: We fired S.O.S. from 3pm to 4.5pm. no attack was made on our front.
7.20pm. fired S.O.S. until 7:38 pm. nothing developed.
Considerable aerial activity. Lewis gun from battery position.
2nd Lieutenant H. Payne C/178, shot down E. A. with a Lewis Gun from battery position. Two officers of the Brigade wounded.
2nd December:
Our Batteries still in the open, & in direct observation from the enemy; were shelled and suffered casualties.
12.47: Two enemy field guns were seen to be brought into action on crest in E.18. (WEST of BOURLON WOOD) Engaged and crew seen to leave guns; one gun certainly smashed and other one damaged.
Casualties inflicted upon enemy.
8.10pm. 140 Infantry Brigade under barrage by Left Group & assisted by groups on either side, advanced their line 400 yards.
Two enemy officers and 54 other ranks, 16 machine guns captured, satisfactory results.
Usual harassing fire carried out during night by Group.
3rd December:
Under orders from group commander, 2 batteries moved their positions, owing to being direct observation of enemy.
1pm. 47 D.A report that our troops seen forward in E.18.A.1.9. but are apparently an isolated party and will be recalled at night.
Note:
It was on the 1st of December that Thomas Howland died of his wounds. We have included the next two days’ war diary entries as they were still in action, occasionally the dates of death conflict depending on which records you are looking at.
Remembrance:
Thomas was buried in Grevillers British Cemetery at Pas de Calais in France. He is buried in plot IX, Row B, grave 14. The family inscription on his headstone reads: ‘Till The Day Dawns.’
Locally his name is inscribed in the Borough of Keighley roll of honour book on display at Keighley Library.
He is also named on the family grave at Utley Cemetery. The marble cross has a round indentation which may have contained a bronze war memorial plaque which has been subsequently lost or even stolen from the cross.
Post war:
His father was his next of kin and he received the sum of £8 6s 10d from his Army pay account n 4th April 1918 and a further £9 war gratuity payment on 26th November 1919.
A Dependant’s pension was also applied for by Elizabeth and she received the sum of 7 shillings per week from 11th June 1918 which increased to 8 shillings per week on 13th May 1918.
They would also have received his medals which were the British War Medal and Victory Medal plus a war memorial plaque and scroll inscribed with his name. Usually these arrived in 1920 or 1921.
In the 1921 census Thomas senior and Elizabeth were still at 5, Gate Street in Keighley. Thomas was aged 74 and a retired mason for Fred Waterhouse building contractors of West Lane in Keighley, Elizabeth was aged 66 and on home duties. Also here as a visitor was Jane Ann Howland aged 43 and employed as a weaver in a worsted mill owned by Merrall and Son of Oxenhope.
Thomas senior died aged 75 on the 27th of August 1921 and Elizabeth died aged 68 on the 29th of March 1922. They are both buried in the family grave at Utley Cemetery, which bears the memorial inscription to son Thomas.
Keighley News:
His photo appears in the Keighley News dated 15th of December 1917 (see above) but there is no accompanying text.
Information sources:
England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1837-1915
England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915.
England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915.
West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1910.
1901 England Census.
1911 England Census.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919.
Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, 1901-1929.
World War I Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923.
British Army WWI Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920.
WWI Service Medal and Award Rolls, 1914-1920.
W0-95/2598/ WWI War Diaries (France, Belgium and Germany), 1914-1920.
1921 England Census.
England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007.
Family gravestone at Utley Cemetery.
