L/Sgt 16345 Thomas Albert Woollam

• Age: 30
• From: Chester
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 1st April 1917
• Commemorated at: London Cem Neuville-vitasse
  Panel Ref: II.D.4

Thomas Albert was born in Chester in the summer of 1886, the second son of Thomas Woollam and Alice (née Weaver). His parents, both born in Farndon, Cheshire, married in 1881 and had six children.  He had older siblings William Arthur, born in 1882, and Alice 1884, and younger brothers John 1889, Herbert Ellis 1892, all born in Chester, and James Leonard born in Hoole in 1896. 

At the time of the 1891 census the family is living at 58 Tarvin Road, Chester, with four children and a domestic servant.  His father is a coal merchant, Albert (sic) is 4.

On  the 1901 census Thomas is aged 14, and living with his parents and five siblings at 9 Hamilton Street, Hoole. His father, Thomas, is a 46 year old coal merchant/employer born in Farndon, whilst his mother Alice  is aged 44 and was also born in Farndon His siblings are listed as William A. 18 clerk at coal office, Alice 16, Herbert 11, John 9, and James L. 5.

After leaving school Thomas served a 5-year apprenticeship in Chester with Messrs. J. E. Newman, ironmongers.

The 1911 census finds Thomas, 24, one of two boarders at 219 Banbury Road, Oxford, the property of Mrs Jordan. He is an ironmonger’s manager with G. R. Cooper’s.  He later moved to Manchester to practice his trade.

On the same 1911 census his family are at Moreton House, Tarvin Road, Chester. His father Thomas is a 55 year old coal merchant,  his mother Alice is 57. They state that they have been  married for 20 years. Thomas' siblings still living at home are recorded as; William Arthur 28 widowed, coal merchant, Herbert Ellis 19 teaching student, James Leonard 15 at school, and Margaret aged 1 is the daughter of William Arthur.

Thomas enlisted at St George's Hall in Liverpool on 02nd September 1914 joining the 18th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 16345. He gave his age as 28 years and 3 months and his occupation as an ironmonger. He is described as being 5'6 inches tall and weighed 112lbs, is of sallow complexion with hazel eyes and dark hair.  He gives his religion as Congregationalist. 

His brother Herbert enlisted in the same battalion on the same day, with adjacent regimental number 16346.  The brothers trained together and shipped to France together. 

From the 23^rd September 1914 he was billeted at Hooton Park Race Course and remained there until 03^rd December 1914 when they moved into the hutted accommodation at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 18th Battalion alongside the other three Pals battalions left Liverpool via Prescot Station for further training at Belton Park, Grantham. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain.

Whilst training at Belton Park in Lincolnshire, he married Margaret Piggott on 02nd August 1915 in the Primitive Methodist Chapel, Chester.  (His father was a trustee of the church and a lay preacher for many years.)  A month after his marriage, the battalion moved to Salisbury Plain for final infantry training before shipping to the front.

Thomas served overseas from 07th November 1915. His records show that he received treatment for a wound to his thigh between 28th - 31st January 1916. He was granted leave to the UK for the period 12th - 23rd May 1916.  He received a number of promotions and was appointed unpaid Lance Corporal on 20th June 1916, then was promoted to Corporal on 02nd July 1916 and became Lance Serjeant on 13th January 1917. He served in No.1 Company.

Separation allowance was paid to Margaret, staying at 43 London Road, Tunbridge Wells.

The Battalion War Diary for 31st March shows the battalion in trenches lately vacated by the enemy at Madeleine Work in front of Neuville Vitasse, digging trenches at night 3-400 yards nearer Neuville Vitasse, 3 posts on each side of the Mercatel- Neuville Vitasse road. The diary records three named O.R. wounded.

The diary records casualties for 1st April 1917:  2 O.R. Killed, 8 Wounded.

Thomas was one of those killed in action on 01st April 1917.  He was buried close to where he fell, alongside Pte. 52470 Thomas Lawless, and the grave marked with a cross. 

A letter from his officer, Capt. R. W. Jones to the family of Pte. Lawless states:

“He was killed about three o’clock in the morning of the 1st of this month. The shell which killed him also killed his sergeant. The two lads were buried side by side and crosses have been placed where they rest.”

After the war, when graves were concentrated, their bodies were removed and reinterred in London Cemetery, Neuville Vitasse, just southeast of Arras, where they now rest.  

Neuville-Vitasse was attacked by the 56th (London) Division on 7 April 1917 and captured by the same Division on 9 April. The village was almost entirely lost at the end of March 1918 but regained at the end of the following August. It was later "adopted" by the Metropolitan Borough of Paddington. The London Cemetery was made by the 56th Division in April 1917 and greatly extended after the Armistice when graves were brought in from other burial grounds and from the battlefields between Arras, Vis-en-Artois and Croisilles. London Cemetery contains 747 burials and commemorations of the First World War. 318 of the burials are unidentified and on a screen wall are panels bearing the names of casualties buried in the following four cemeteries, whose graves were destroyed by shell fire:- WANCOURT ROAD CEMETERY No.2, just East of NEUVILLE-VITASSE; NEUVILLE0-VITASSE MILL CEMETERY, close to a German strong point on the road to Mercatel; BEAURAINS ROAD CEMETERY No.2, just North-West of NEUVILLE-VITASSE; BEAURAINS GERMAN CEMETERY; and ERCHIN GERMAN CEMETERY (Nord). The cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.

The CWGC Graves Registration form shows surname Woodlam and date of death as 14th April 1917.   

His death was reported in the Cheshire Observer on 14th April 1917:

“We regret to learn that unofficial news has been received that Sergt. Thomas Albert Woollam (Liverpool Regiment) was killed in action on April 1st.  Sergt. Woollam was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Woollam of Morton House, Tarvin Road.  The Sergeant joined the Army in September, 1914, and went abroad about 18 months ago.  He was in the fighting last year and escaped injury.  Previous to joining the Army he was engaged in the ironmongery trade in Manchester, having served his time with Mr. Newman, of Chester.  Sergt. Woollam was married and was 30 years of age.  His brother, A. J. [Herbert] Woollam, was his constant companion through the time he was in the Army, the brothers being in the same regiment.  Mr. A. J. Woollam hurt his hand while at the Front and was recently transferred to a hospital in England.  Another son of Mr. Woollam is serving as a captain in the British Expeditionary Force, and has been out 18 months.” 

Chester Observer 14th April 1917

Mr T. Woollam of Moreton House, Tarvin Road, has received letters from the front informing him that his second son, Sergeant Mr T. Woollam of the King's Liverpool Regiment has been killed in action. Sergeant Woollam joined the Liverpool "Pals" with his brother Private A. J. Woollam in September 1914. He had been in France for about 18 months and sustained wounds in the offensive last July. He was married and 30 years of age and before joining the Army was in the ironmongery business in Manchester, having served his time with Mr Newman, of Chester. He was educated at the Old St. John Street Wesleyan School, and was connected with the Primitive Methodist Church, Hamilton Street, Hoole. Mr Woollam has three other sons serving with the Colours, and Private A. J. Woollam who joined with his deceased brother and had been with him ever since they enlisted, is now in hospital suffering from septic poisoning in the hand. Another son of Mr Woollam is a Captain serving with the British Expeditionary Force, and has been out 18 months. 

 On the same date the Chester Chronicle added further details:

“He was educated at the old St. John Street Wesleyan school, and was connected with the Primitive Methodist Church, Hamilton Street, Hoole. Mr. Woollam has three other sons serving with the Colours, and Private A. J. Woollam is now in hospital suffering from septic poisoning in the hand.” 

His personal belongings were sent to his wife Margaret in September 1917 : 1 Cap badge. 

Thomas earned his three medals.  His widow Margaret signed for the 1914-1915 Star, but A. Woollam (most likely his mother) signed for his Victory Medal and British War Medal.  

In May 1920 Margaret received his Memorial Plaque and Scroll.  She wrote to Infantry Records requesting his name on the Memorial Scroll be correctly spelled. 

Thomas’ Army effects and a War Gratuity of £12-10s went to Margaret, at Moreton House, Tarvin Road.  She was awarded a pension of 15/- a week from October 1917.  A later address for her is given as 10 Water Tower Street, Chester (1920) and also Orthopaedic Hospital Roseneath, Wrexham.   

In 1919 Margaret provided information on Thomas’ living relatives:  She and his parents were living in Moreton House, with Ernest, 29, Herbert, 27, and Leonard, 22.  His brother (William) Arthur, 33, was living in Hoole, and his married sister Alice Shone was living in Wigan.  

In January 1926 Infantry Records asked for verification of his details:  L/Sjt T. A. Woodlam, Royal Lancaster Regiment, date of death 14/4/1917, evidently for his headstone. Margaret sent the corrections.

His brother Herbert (A.J.) survived the war.

His younger brother James Leonard completed O.T.C. training at the University of London.  He arrived in France on 16/11/1915 as 2nd Lt. with the Manchester Regiment, then from July 1917 served with the Indian Army in India, Mesopotamia, and Persia, and attained the rank of Captain. 

Thomas' Soldiers Effects and Pension to widow Margaret.

By 1926 widow Margaret was living at 10 Water Tower Street, Chester. 

His father died in 1930, aged 73 and his mother on Christmas Day 1938, aged 84.

Margaret, still widowed, attended her father-in-law’s funeral in 1930.

She remarried in 1934 to Henry Arthur Jones at Hoole Methodist Church on Hamilton Street.

Thomas is commemorated on the following memorials -

Chester Citizens Memorial situated in Chester Town Hall

Cheshire Roll of Honour 

And on his parents’ gravestone in Overleigh New Cemetery, Chester:

“In Loving Memory of

ALSO OF THEIR SON

THOMAS ALBERT,

(SGT. 18TH BATT. K.L.R.)

WHO TENDING WOUNDED WAS KILLED

NEAR ARRAS APRIL 1ST 1917,

AGED 30 YEARS

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