Born on 11th November 1888, Thomas was the eldest son of Thomas and Eliza Sutton, of Back Street, now called Old Road, Shipston-on-Stour and he was baptised on the 24th February the following year, when Thomas senior’s occupation is recorded as Roadman. The 1891 census shows an older sister, Anne, and a younger brother, Walter, with the family living in Back Street. The 1901 census shows Thomas living in Ram Yard off Telegraph Street with his parents and younger brothers Walter, Frederick, Joseph and George and a younger sister, Kate. On the 9th May 1892 Thomas was enrolled in the Infants School, when the family’s address was noted as West Street. On the 1st July 1896 he moved up to the Boys School. On leaving he had achieved School Standard I. It is known that Thomas’ younger brothers, Frederick and George, enlisted together in Stratford-upon-Avon early on in the war, as they are mentioned as having joined Kitcheners Army in the Evesham Journal of 26th September 1914.  Thomas enlisted in February 1915 and his initial training and service was with the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles).  After months of training Thomas was finally posted overseas with 1st King’s Own Scottish Borderers who were then fighting at Gallipoli.  He arrived on the 24th September 1915 as part of a draft of replacements.   After a harsh winter the Expeditionary Force was withdrawn from Gallipoli on the 2nd January 1916 and moved to Egypt. On the 29th March 1916 they landed at Marseille in France, and proceeded to the Western Front. After a relatively quiet period building up to the Somme offensive, on the morning of the 1st July 1916, Thomas and the 1st KOSB found themselves the second wave to attack across what is now Newfoundland Park, near Beaumont Hamel.  They arrived in their trenches at 2am and started to suffer casualties immediately. At 7:33am the Royal Irish Fusiliers attacked and the KOSB were to follow once the last wave of the Royal Irish had reached the German trench. As was the case across most of the northern sector of the attack, the German wire was intact and by 7:40am the Fusiliers were held up and were being decimated by German machine gun fire. At 7:58am the KOSB attacked under ‘heavy machine gun fire’. Little progress was made and at 08:45 the attack ceased.  In this attack the KOSB lost 94 Officers and men killed, 415 wounded and 59 missing. On the 29th July the Evesham Journal reported: On July 19 Mr. and Mrs. T. Sutton, Telegraph-street. Shipston-on-Stour, received the usual intimation from the Regimental Records Office, that their eldest son, Thomas Sutton, a private in the K.O.S. Borderers, had been killed in action on July 1.  Private Sutton was the eldest of four sons who have joined the colours, and was 29 years of age. He enlisted on February 15, 1915 and on 27th September last went to the Dardanelles and took part in operations there. He was then transferred with his regiment to another scene of action. Much sympathy is felt for Mr. and Mrs. Sutton in their bereavement. The Stratford Herald of the 4th August 1916 reported: Mr & Mrs T. Sutton of Parkers Yard, Shipston have received notification of the death of their eldest son Pte Thomas Sutton who was killed in action during the big push on July 1st. Pte Sutton, who was 29, joined the army shortly after the outbreak of war and saw much fighting in Gallipoli. Great sympathy is felt for the parents who have three other sons on active service.  He is the 12th Shipston man to give his life. Thomas’ three brothers returned safely to their home in Parkers Yard off Telegraph Street. Thomas’s body was never found and he is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial on the opposite side of the valley. The Memorial is carved with the names of 72,000 men who lost their lives in the Battle of the Somme and have no known grave. Thomas is remembered on both the Town and County School Memorials.

Mike Wells