Private Wilfred Tompkins

Rank or Title

Date of Birth

1889

Date of Death

12 Jul 1917

War time / or Pre War occupation

Coach builder

Employer

William Squires, Langley Street

Service Number

3/57897

Place of Birth

Markyate
United Kingdom

World War I Address

42 Maple Road
Luton
United Kingdom

Place of Death

Belgium

Grave Location

Belgian Battery Corner Cemetery
Belgium

War Memorial Location

Soldier or Civilian

  • Soldier

Source

The Luton News , 26th July 1917
Pte Wilfred Tompkins

Pte Wilfred Tompkins, 57896, 11th Battalion Cheshire Regiment, was killed in action in Belgium on July 12th, 1917. He was within a few days of his 28th birthday.

Second Lieut E. Dixon, of C Company, in a letter to parents Thomas William and Sarah Annie Tompkins at 42 Maple Road, Luton, said their son had joined the Cheshires only on July 11th. On the night of the 12th he was a member of a working party behind the line when a shell burst by him and killed him instantly.

Church of England chaplain W. Gabriel Harris wrote that he had buried Pte Tompkins in a military cemetery. A cross had been erected on his grave.

Wilfred Tompkins had enlisted in the East Anglian Royal Engineers (2221) on April 11th, 1915, and on July 10th left for Thetford for training. He was transferred to the Welsh Fusiliers in December 1916 and went to France on the 29th.

While in France he was transferred to the Machine Gun Section of the 18th Cheshires, but was invalided home sick after a short time in the trenches. He underwent an operation before returning to France to rejoin the Cheshires in the 11th Battalion about a month before his death.

Prior to enlistment Wilfred Tompkins was employed at the coach-building works of William Squires, Langley Street. For about four years he had been a member of the Bury Park Church Choir and Guild.

Individual Location

Pte Wilfred Tompkins

Author: Deejaya

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