Pupils of Gordon’s Boys Home who died in the Great War 1914-1919 No. 2371 Thomas Augustus Collyer was born on the 1st August 1894 in Frimley, Surrey 1894 and baptised on the 7th October, the son of Edwin (a Labourer) and Caroline (nee Parker). His father died in 1907 and his mother 1909. He arrived at Gordon’s in 1910 and left a year later. His sister Ellen Louise Mills is named on admission papers. In 1911 when the census was taken he was at Gordon’s training to be a “Tailor” and left to join the East Yorkshire Regiment. He married Ethel Royals in York in late 1915, who after his death married Richard S. Sheader in 1925 and lived in Scarborough. The Service Record of Thomas did not survive the Blitz but he enlisted at Woking and was a 22 year old Serjeant in the 1st Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment when he died in 1916 and it is must assumed that he joined direct from Gordon’s, like many others. When war was declared, the 1/E.Yorks were in York as part of 18th Brigade, 6th Division. They landed at St. Nazaire on the 10th September 1914 in time to reinforce the BEF who were hard pressed on the River Aisne. (His Medal Roll Card states that he landed in France on the 8th September 1914). On the 20th September the 18th Brigade were attached to Douglas Haig’s 1st Corps for the Battle of the Aisne Heights before re-joining the 6th Division and moving with the rest of the BEF to Flanders and the Ypres area. On the 26th November 1915 the 1/E.Yorks left the 18th Brigade and moved to the 64th Brigade in the 21st Division as replacements for the 15th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry who had casualties of 462 at the Battle of Loos. Battle of the Somme (1st July – 18th November) On the 1st July 1916 the 64th Brigade penetrated about half a mile into the German defences north of Fricourt, helped by the firing of three mines, but on either side the attack was held up. By the 3rd they had been relieved by the 62nd Brigade with the village taken to the south but little progress to the north. In early September the Battalion were billeted in Arras providing nightly working parties for the front lines. On the 4th they went to the rear for rest and training and arrived at Givenchy-le-Noble on the 5th where they practiced various drills until the 11th when they started back to the front arriving at Dernancourt on the 13th. The 15th September 1916 was the first day of the battle of Flers-Coucelette and when tanks were first used in warfare. The Battalion left Dernancourt at 6.30am on the 15th and marched 10km to Pommiers Redoubt (near Longuval) where they bivouacked. At midnight the officers were informed that the Brigade were to be attached to the 41st Division for an attack on the fortified village of Gueudecourt at 9.25am that day, the 16th. The 1/E Yorks were to support the 2 battalions assaulting Gueudemont. Without prior knowledge of the area, and a shambles in the communication trenches, the various battalions ended up in the wrong trenches. At 8.30am it was decided that they could not reach the trenches from where the assault was to be made and the troops should go “over the top”. The distance now to be covered was between 2000 and 3500yds to their first objective and as soon as they cleared the parapet they were hit by enemy shells. The battle raged all day with the attacking Pupils of Gordon’s Boys Home who died in the Great War 1914-1919 No. 2371 troops being shelled at times by our own guns. The Battalion remained in the original front line trench being called on at times to aid the assault. They were relieved at 8pm on the 17th when they retired to Fricourt Camp. Six Officers were wounded and 18 OR (Other Rank) killed, 117 wounded and 40 missing in the attack. They remained at Fricourt Camp until they moved up to Longuval on the 23rd and during the night dug trenches for another assault on Gueudemont on the 25th. The 1/E Yorks were on this occasion one of the assault battalions with their objectives being a double line of trenches known as the Gird and Gird Support lines. At 12.35pm, after an intense artillery bombardment, the leading companies left their trenches and immediately came under artillery, rifle and machinegun fire. They continued the advance up to the 1st objective but found the barbed wire untouched by our artillery fire and the two waves merged into one. They took cover in shell holes firing on the occupants of Gird trench when possible. The supporting battalion were ordered to advance but could get no further than the original assault trenches. After nightfall the remnants of the Battalion withdrew to an old trench named Switch Trench to rest and re-organize. The strength of the Battalion was found to be 5 Officers and 118 ORs. At 11am the Battalion was ordered to move forward to the original front line where it was learnt that all the objectives had been taken by assaults from the flanks. It was then ordered to garrison Gird Trench where they remained until relieved at 2.40am on the 17th. The War Diary records casualties for this action amounted to 6 Officers killed and 7 wounded, 40 ORs killed, 145 wounded and 59 missing. The GWGC records 96 having died with only 9 having known graves the others are remembered on the Thiepval Memorial. Thomas died on the 25th September 1916 - recorded on Soldiers Effects & Medal Roll. The CWGC has his death recorded as the 20th but on that day the Battalion were behind the lines. Thomas was awarded the 1914 star and Clasp, and the British War and Victory Medals. His wife Ethel would have received his medals and the Death Plaque and Scroll she also received his Effects of £6-10s and his War Gratuity of £15 (to widow Edith?) Sources: 1, 2, 3(C), 5, 7(a, b & c), 9, 11 & 14(a). References 1. UK, Soldiers Died in WW1 (Details, often including place of enlistment) 2. Commonwealth War Graves Commission (Cemetery or Memorial) & relatives? 3. 1901 census (Military (M) or (C)) 4. 1901 census (Gordon Boys Home - Age only) 5. 1911 census (Gordon Boys Home - Age, place of birth and Trade) 6. 1911 census (Military (M) or Civilian. (C)). 7. Army Medal Card 7(a) - Rolls 7(b) - Effects 7(c) 9. www.1914-1918.net (Long Long Trail (Division, Regiment & Battalion dispositions – Chris Baker) 10. Service Record (some survived WW2 blitz - various state of damage) 11. Reference literature (War Diary WO95 Piece 2161:64 Inf. Bge. (1stBn East Yorkshire Regiment)) 14. Gordon’s Records (a) The Children’s Society (b) .