Pte 52010 Thomas Francis Cross

• Age: 24
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• D.O.W Thursday 19th October 1916
• Commemorated at: St Sever Cem, Rouen
  Panel Ref: B.12.52

Thomas Francis Cross was born in the fourth quarter of 1892 at Walton, Liverpool, resided in Birkenhead and was the son of Francis Cross and his wife Alice Maud (nee Norman) who were married in 1890 on the Wirral. .

The 1901 Census sees the family living at 48 Low Hill, Liverpool. All of the family are shown with initials only. His father referred to as F Cross is a 34 year old working in a butcher's shop and was born in Burslem, Staffordshire, his mother A.M. Cross is 33 years of age without an occupation listed, she was born in Liverpool. Thomas shown as T.F. Cross is 8 years old, he has four sisters listed as E.M. aged 9, E.A. aged 5, A.C. aged 3 and E.M. aged 1. All of his sisters were born in Bootle.       

The 1911 Census shows the family have moved across the River Mersey and are living at 123 Price Street, Birkenhead. Thomas Francis is 18 years of age and a butcher by trade. His father, Francis, is a butcher/shopkeeper born in North Staffordshire in 1867, whilst his mother Alice Maud was born in Walton, Liverpool in 1868. Thomas has four sisters; Elizabeth Maud b. 1892, Gertrude Alice b. 1896, Annie Ceceilia b.1898 and Edith May b. 1900.  

He enlisted in Liverpool and was serving in the 17th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 52010 when he died of wounds on the 19th October 1916 during the Battle of the Transloy Ridges which was part of the ongoing Somme Offensive.

The 17th Battn. War Diary – the newspaper reported that Thomas was wounded on the 9th October, more likely to be the 10th. 

DERNANCOURT

9th Oct 1916 – Battalion in billets. Village attack practice.

10th Oct 1916 – 7 a.m. Battalion marched from DERNANCOURT to S.21.b.,and rested at this point for dinner and tea.

5 p.m. Battalion moved off in file to relieve a battalion of 123rd Infantry Brigade in Front line N.W. of FLERS, via LONGUEVAL, and across country. 

11th Oct 1916 – 7 a.m. Relief completed. 

He now rests at St Sever Cemetery, Rouen, France.

During the First World War, Commonwealth camps and hospitals were stationed on the southern outskirts of Rouen. A base supply depot and the 3rd Echelon of General Headquarters were also established in the city.

Almost all of the hospitals at Rouen remained there for practically the whole of the war. They included eight general, five stationary, one British Red Cross, one labour hospital, and No. 2 Convalescent Depot. A number of the dead from these hospitals were buried in other cemeteries, but the great majority were taken to the city cemetery of St. Sever. In September 1916, it was found necessary to begin an extension.

The Cemetery and the Extension adjoin each other but have separate Registers.

St. Sever Cemetery contains 3,082 Commonwealth burials of the First World War. There is also 1 French burial and 1 non war service burial here. The adjoining cemetery extension contains 8,348 Commonwealth burials of the First World War (ten of them unidentified) and in Block "S" there are 328 from the Second World War (18 of them unidentified). There are also 8 Foreign National burials here.

The Commonwealth plots were designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield.

Thomas earned his two medals.

His Soldiers Effects, Army pay of £3 0s 5d and a War Gratuity of £3 went to his sister Elizabeth M.  A pension of 11/- pw was received by his mother Alice Maud, 123 Price Street.

His father Francis died, aged 62, in 1929.

On the 1939 Register at 123 Price Street, his mother, Alice, date of birth 05th May 1865, is living with daughters Elizabeth, Annie and Edith. She died aged 78 in 1944 and was buried on the 05th April at Anfield Cemetery, her address at the time of her death was 46 Hartford Road, Liverpool.

Thomas is remembered on the Birkenhead War Memorial.  

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