Capt Arthur de Bells Adam (MC)
1885 - 1916

CPL David Wallace Crawford
1887 - 1916

Lce-Corpl John Joseph Nickle
1894 - 1916

Pte 17911 Morton Neill
1897 - 1916

Lieut Edward Stanley Ashcroft
1883 - 1918

L/Cpl 34115 Francis Hugh Thornton

Age: 21
From: Appleby, Westmorland
Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
K.I.A Tuesday 26th March 1918
Commemorated at: Ham British Cem
Panel Ref: II.A.11

Francis Hugh Thornton was born on the 21st October 1896 in Appleby, Westmorland, the son of William Thornton and his wife Annie (née Kirkpatrick). His father was born in Appleby, and his mother in Scotland. They married in 1877 and had twelve children, three of whom died young. Birth registrations have been found for ten of his siblings: Jane Ann 1878, Joseph 1881, Wilhelmina 1882, Thomas 1884, Maggie 1886, Donald Oliver 1888 (died infancy), John 1889 (died in infancy), Douglas John 1891, Charlotte 1893, and Mary Helen 1894.

In 1901 they are living in Pembroke Street, Appleby (they had lived in this street since at least 1891). His father is 54, a joiner and cabinet maker working on his own account, and his mother is 46. They have seven children at home. The two eldest are working: Wilhelmina, 18, is a dressmaker’s apprentice, and Thomas, 16, is also in joinery. Francis is 4.

They are still in Pembroke Street in 1911. His father, 64, is a carpenter working on his own account. Charlotte, 17, and Mary Helen 16, no occupations listed, Francis is 14. His mother, 56, is found employed as a sick nurse to the Dent family in Penrith (about 12 miles northwest).

He attended the British School in 1901 and Appleby County School between 1910 and 1911. He left school at 14 a few months after the census, on 28th July 1911. His three brothers learned carpentry with their father; it is not known whether Francis also went into the trade.

He enlisted in Appleby and served originally as Private 23664, in the Border Regiment. The amount of the War Gratuity suggests that he enlisted in early 1916, when he was 19 years old.

At some point he was posted to the 17th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment, transferred for some time to the 18th Bn K.L.R., and returned to the 17th Bn. The medal roll shows only K.L.R., indicating that Francis was transferred from the Border Regiment before shipping overseas.

His father died in April 1916 aged 69, leaving effects of £452 to his widow.

He was serving in the 17^th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Lance-Corporal No 34115 when he was killed in action on the 26^th March 1918, aged 21, during the German Spring Offensive.

The Battalion diary for 26^th March 1918 gives an insight into the events of the day

MOYENCOURT – ROIGLISE – PLESSIER – PLESSIER FOLIES

During the morning the Battalion moved to FOLIES and took up positions west of the village. Later on 2 Companies under Capt. RIGBY-JONES were ordered to man some trenches E. of ROUVROY, the remaining Company occupying trenches N.E. of FOLIES.

Battn. H.Q. in dug outs just west of the village.

Francis’ body was found by the Germans and buried with an unidentified soldier from the Rifle Brigade. After the war, when graves were concentrated from the battlefields and smaller cemeteries, his body was found, identified by his disc, and reinterred at Ham Cemetery, France, where he now rests.

In January, February and March 1918, the 61st (South Midland) Casualty Clearing Station was posted at Ham, but on the 23rd March the Germans, in their advance towards Amiens, crossed the Somme at Ham, and the town remained in German hands until the French First Army re-entered it on the following 6th September.

Ham British Cemetery was begun in January 1918 by the 61st Casualty Clearing Station as an extension of Muille-Villette German Cemetery.

In 1919 the graves in the British Cemetery were regrouped and others were added. Ham British Cemetery contains 485 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War. 218 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 14 soldiers, believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of 39 casualties known to have been buried in other cemeteries whose graves were not found.

MUILLE-VILLETTE GERMAN CEMETERY adjoins the West side of the British Cemetery. It now contains the graves of 1,113 identified and 420 unidentified German soldiers.

His death was published in the Weekly Casualty List on 14th May 1918.

His Army effects and a War Gratuity of £9-10s went to his mother.

His eldest brother Joseph (occupation carpenter) had enlisted in the Army Service Corps in 1900. He extended his service with the Colours but was discharged as medically unfit (phlebitis) in 1912.

Douglas had also served before the war, in the Durham Light Infantry (qualification carpenter). He re-enlisted on 09/11/1915 in the Royal Engineers, and was mobilised in March 1916. His service record shows a deformity of the left ankle, the Army issued him with specially made boots; he was placed in Category C2, and was transferred to the Reserve on 4/5/1917 as surplus to Army requirements, to take up his pre-war occupation as schoolmaster.

His mother died in 1937 at 82.

Francis is also remembered on the family headstone located within Appleby Cemetery with theiInscription;

AND OF FRANCIS HUGH [THORNTON]/DEARLY BELOVED SON OF THE ABOVE/WHO WAS KILLED IN ACTION IN FRANCE/MARCH 26TH 1918 AGED 21 YEARS

He is also remembered on the following Memorials:

Appleby Methodists War Memorial, Methodist Church, The Sands, Appleby

The Appleby Roll of Honour, on the south wall of the Council Chamber, Moot Hall, Boroughgate, Appleby

Appleby Cemetery Obelisk , Appleby Cemetery, off Cross Croft, Appleby

Appleby War Memorial in St Lawrence Church (Panel 1).

We currently have no further information on Francis Hugh Thornton, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.

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(108 Years this day)
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L/Cpl 29203 Valentine Alexander
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Pte 27948 Joseph Atherton
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Tuesday 30th April 1918.
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Tuesday 30th April 1918.
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(108 Years this day)
Tuesday 30th April 1918.
Pte 23056 John William Jones
27 years old

(108 Years this day)
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Pte 49572 John Henry Leadbeater (MM)
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(108 Years this day)
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Sgt 22462 James Lowe (MID)
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(108 Years this day)
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Pte 51712 Edgar Domenico Murray
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(108 Years this day)
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A total of 14 Pals were killed on this day. View All