Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Book: | The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918 | Pg.133 | |
| 2. Memorial: | The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour | 17D GQS | |
| 3. Grave: | Terlincthun British Cemetery | II.A.38 Pas de Calais | |
| 4. Memorial: | Liverpool Masonic Hall War Memorial | Col.3. Hope St. | |
Awards & Titles: | |||
Family :
There are entries within this database which are difficult to isolate facts, and without the help of local lodge and Provincial knowledge no legend would come to light. This is one such entry, where the help of Geoff Cuthill from West Lancashire has become invaluable in confirming who Thomas Richards is amongst others of the same name.Thomas's father, Simon Morris 28 a seafarer married 4th December, 1867 to Mary Rice 24 at St Philips Liverpool. He was born as Thomas Morris at Mostyn, Flintshire 13th May 1882, and took the surname of Richards sometime after his widowed mother, Mary, married Isaiah (Syer) Richards in 1885.
Thomas is found on the 1901 census working as a ‘publishers clerk’ and staying at the home of his brother in law John Murphy at 12 Lombard Road, Walton on the Hill, Liverpool. The census return for 1911 for 198 Molyneux Road, Kensington, Liverpool shows it as the residence of John David Winstanley and his wife Isabella, and the lodge returns show the address of Thomas in later years as 178 Molyneux Road. Surviving crew lists for Liverpool show Thomas aboard the SS Cedric which was sailing between Italy and USA as a passenger liner and emigrant ship. He is employed as a ‘bedroom steward’ with his address as 178 Molyneux Road, Kensington, Liverpool. Thomas is found on a crew list of 1915 aboard the Adriatic, of the White Star Line, as a 32 year old Steward, born at Mostyn.
Thomas was working for the White Star Line in the immediate aftermath of the the R.M.S. Titanic disaster in April, 1912 and forms a backdrop to his career in Trans-Atlantic passenger transport.
Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: Canadian Garrison Artillery |
| Action : France & Flanders |
France & Flanders covers all the dates and corresponding locations which are outside the official battle nomenclature dates on the Western Front. Therefore the actions in which these men died could be considered 'normal' trench duty - the daily attrition losses which were an everyday fact of duty on the Western Front.
Detail :
Thomas had attested into the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force at Kingston on 14 March 1917 and given the number 344976. His form shows he was originally listed with 74 Battery, Canadian Field Artillery, and gave his present address as 178 Molyneux Road, Liverpool. His next of kin was recorded as being his mother, Mary Richards of 6 Marsh Road, Mostyn, North Wales. Thomas gave his birth date as 13 May 1882 and his occupation being that of a seafarer. Interestingly when asked if he had ever served in a Military Force his answer was that he had served 5 years with the volunteers, but doesn’t expand on this. His physical description is recorded on having his medical examination and he is five foot five inch in height of a dark complexion with brown eyes and black hair, which contains a bald patch on the back of his head. It even records the mole present on the left side of the nose, and his faith is given as Church of England.
The Canadian Roll of Honour shows that Thomas died of wounds on 8th August 1918 received while serving with the 2nd Siege Battery, Canadian Garrison Artillery and is now buried at Terlincthun British Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France in Plot 2, Row A, Grave 38. This cemetery had been opened in June of 1918 and was used by nearby base hospitals. 2 Siege Battery had no casualties for August 1918 according to the war diary, but had four at Thelus which is five miles north of Arras on 15 July, and one on the 25 July near to Ecuine, and it is highly probable that Thomas was one of these five.
The Liverpool Echo of 30 August 1918 on page 2,contains a small obituary which says “Richards, August 8th died of wounds. Gunner Thomas Richards (Canadians) late of Mostyn and the victualling department White Star Line. Deeply regretted by his mother Mrs Mary Richards of Mostyn, and his friends Mr and Mrs Winstanley of 178 Molyneux Road.
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | Walton Lodge of Unity No. 1086 E.C. | West Lancashire |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
14th October 1912 | 14th November 1912 | 14th April 1915 |
There are multiple entries of members called Thomas Richards in the Walton Lodge, and none show a date of death. One has war service, but appears to pay dues up to 1921, with another being excluded c.1912 under Rules 175. The 1921 and 1940 rolls report that it is a Signaller Thomas Richards who is commemorated.
Geoff Cuthill confirms that Thomas Richards was initiated a member of WALTON LODGE No. 1086 in on 4 October 1912, a 30 year old Steward (Ships)and residing at 198 Molyneux Road. He was passed to the degree of fellow-craft on 4 November 1912 and raised as a master mason 14 April 1915 with his Grand Lodge certificate issued 29 June 1914.
Source :
The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:
- The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
- The (UK) National Archives
- Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
- ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry
Additional Source:
- Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
- Researcher : Bruce Littley