Pte 26521 Thomas Joseph Winter

• Age: 21
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• Died Tuesday 25th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Kensal Green (st Mary's R.c.), London
  Panel Ref: 8.Screen Wall

Thomas Joseph Winter was born in Liverpool on 28^th May 1895, to George Winter and his wife Johanna (nee Cosgrave), who married in Toxteth Park in 1888. George was from London, and Johanna was born in Liverpool.  Thomas was the fourth of six children, all born in Liverpool; his siblings were William, George, Annie, Elsie, and Winifred.  Thomas was baptised in St. Michael’s R.C. Church in Liverpool on 22^nd June 1895.

In the 1901 Census the family, with five children, are living at 16 Dyke Street, Everton. His father is a 47 year old cotton porter, born in London, his mother is 41 years of age and was born in Liverpool. William is 12, George is 10, Annie is 8, Thomas is 5 and Elsie is 3. All of the children were born in Liverpool. 

By the time of the 1911 Census the family have moved to 3 Windermere Street, now with six children. His father is now shown as aged 53 and is still employed as a cotton porter, his mother is now shown as 50 years old. They have been married for 23 years and have had six children all of whom have survived, and all six are in the household. William, 22, is an assistant grocer, George, 20, is a catering clerk, Thomas, 15, is a joiner’s apprentice, Annie is 18 with no occupation stated, Elsie is 13 and a scholar, as is Winifred 8.

Thomas likely enlisted in September 1914 when he would have been 19 years old, as Private 26521 joining the 19^th (Pals) Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment.

As his service record has not survived, the details are not known, but at some point Thomas was hospitalised, and he died of nephritis in a London hospital on 25^th July 1916, aged 21.

His parents announced his death in the Liverpool Echo on 31^st July 1916:  

WINTER - July 25, aged 21, Private Thomas Winter, dearly-beloved youngest son of G. and J. Winter, 3, Windermere Street, Breck Road, Liverpool.

Thomas' name is recorded on the Screen Wall at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Cemetery, Kensal Green, London.

Kensal Green (St Mary's) Roman Catholic Cemetery contains burials of both wars. Some of the 208 First World War burials are grouped together. The largest, known as the War Plot, contains graves of United Kingdom forces and there are smaller groups of Canadian and Australian graves. The rest of the First World War graves, and all ot the 107 Second World War graves, are scattered elsewhere in the cemetery. A Screen Wall and a low kerb bear the names of casualties of both wars whose graves could not be marked individually. In addition to the Commonwealth war graves, the cemetery contains a number of war graves of other nationalities, including a substantial Belgian plot from the First World War.

Screen walls are a type of Memorial for Commonwealth War dead. They are predominantly used to record the names of individuals who have a known grave but where it is not possible to erect a CWGC headstone or the exact location of the grave is no longer known. 

Soldiers Effects to his father George and mother Johanna,and pension to his mother Johanna.

His brother George served in the Royal Field Artillery, and was promoted to Q.M.S. He served in France, and was mentioned in Dispatches.  He was demobbed in 1919 and emigrated to Niagara Falls, Ontario.

Grateful thanks are extended to Ali Burke for granting permission for us to use the photograph of Thomas now on this site.

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