Thomas Alfred Hudson
& Nathaniel Lomax
Thomas was born on 8th December 1896 in Farnworth, Lancashire and was baptised in the local St Peter's Church on 3rd February 1897. At that time his family were living at 72 Kent Street and his father, also Thomas Alfred, was employed as a Fish Hawker. There are large holes in the records after Thomas's birth, Thomas (senior) presumably died and mother Jane Ann remarried in 1903 Nathaniel Lomax at that time her name was Jane Annie Dillon a spinster. There are no records for 1901 but Nathaniel Lomax served as a soldier with the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment who at this time were in South Africa fighting the Second Boer War.
By 1911 Jane and Nathaniel were living at 112 Bridgewater Street, Farnworth with three children one of whom was Thomas. At this time Nathaniel was a Coal Hewer, Jane worked in a Cotton Mill as a Drawing Frame Tender and Thomas, now aged 14 had left school and was working at the Mill as a Mule Piecer. The piecer, also piercer or scavenger, was the lowest child's job, they worked under the Mule machinery cleaning the dust and oil, collected the cotton waste while the macine was in operation. The collected pieces of cotton were then weaved by nimble little fingers back into the operation, a dangerous job made so by the Tenters refusal to stop the machine as they were paid by volume produced.
On the outbreak of war Nathaniel, by now time served but a Special Reservist, joined his Regiment on 24th August 1914, initially posted to 3rd (Reserve) Battalion he embarked to France to join 1st Battalion on 29th November. Nathaniel joined 1st Battalion where they were based at Mazingarbe near to Bethune, on 22nd December they moved into the front line. During this night Nathaniel was captured and became a POW, there is no clue in the diary whether he was part of a patrol or captured by a patrol whilst standing sentry is not shown, he was sent to Wittenberg POW camp for enlisted men (Kriegsgetangenenlager). Jane was initially notified that her husband was missing but in March 1915 the War Office recieved the International Red Cross notification of his POW status, Jane was given the good news that her husband was alive.
The conditions in the many camps in Germany varied greatly, at this time thousands of Allied soldiers had been taken prisoner in the early German advances of the war causing overcrowding and extremely poor conditions especially in Wittenberg: there was no change of clothing, insufficient food and water and poor sanitation. The lack of water meant personal hygiene suffered and clothing went unwashed, the camp containing 8,000 men, was a breeding ground for disease. Nathaniel became ill with Typhus and died on 16th April 1915, he was buried in Berlin South-Western Cemetery.
Jane was notified which must have come as an incredible blow, but she was awarded a pension of 23 shillings per week to keep her and the three children from the marriage. Nathaniel was awarded the 1914/15 Star, British War and Victory Medals, these with his repatriated personal possessions, his identity discs and two medallions, Memorial Plaque and Scroll were also sent to Jane.
At this time Thomas was still working in the Cotton Mill but during the beginning of May 1915 he enlisted in the Lancashire Fusiliers and was posted to 15th (Service) Battalion (1st Salford) also known as the 1st Salford Pals. 15th and 16th Battalions were formed in September 1914 by the MP Mr Montague Barlow and Salford Committee in Salford, Manchester. The Pals Battalions were an initiative in the early stages of the war to encourage men to join up from various groups, work, sporting or socially based, they guaranteed that groups of friends could enlist, train and serve together. Whilst they seemed a good idea and were no doubt sucessful as a recruiting tool they were disastrous for the communities they represented at such events as the Somme Offensive in which the 1st Salfords were destroyed on that first day.
That same month, May 1915, the Pals moved to Prees Heath in Shropshire but the ground was too wet for training and on 21st June the Division moved to Catterick in North Yorkshire. Physical training, drill, route marches and time on the ranges at Strenshall all helped to hone the men into a fighting force, in August they moved again to Codford on Salisbury Plain for final training in readiness for mobilisation for war. On 22nd November 1915 they landed in Boulogne for duty on the Western Front. After a stop in a rest camp followed by instruction in the trenches the Pals joined the rotational duties between; front line, support and reserve lines, when out of the line they cleaned up trained and formed working or carrying parties. Their first offensive action was on 1st July 1916 at Thiepval Ridge where the whole Battalion was almost wiped out causing huge distress from the Manchester communities from which the men were drawn.
Thomas was not with the Pals at the Somme Offensive, it is not possible to say why as his file did not survive, but at some stage he was transferred to the Manchester Regiment with the number 44294. Initially posted to 18th (Service) Battalion (3rd City) he was transferred to 11th (Service) Battalion retaining the same number. 18th Battalion had landed in France on 6th November 1915, 11th Battalion had been formed at Ashton-Under- Lyne in August 1914. This Battalion has served in Gallipoli until December 1915 and then withdrawn from the Peninsular to Egypt, in July 1916 it had embarked to Marseille. Initially based in the Arras area 11th moved to the Somme in September, it stayed in France for the rest of the war. The most likely explanation for this transfer is that Thomas was wounded, evacuated for hospital treatment in England and on return to France was posted from an Infantry Base Unit to where the numbers were needed.
At the beginning of 1918 the Tank Corps was raising extra Battalions and took its manpower from both newly conscripted men and seasoned Infantry, Thomas was transferred to the Tank Corps and was posted to 18th Battalion with the number 308448. This Battalion was formed at Bovington Camp on 18th February 1918 under the command of Major (later Lieutenant Colonel) W Pepys DSO, in May he was replaced by Lieutenant Colonel H. E. Norton. The establishment at this time was 30 officers and 200 ranks and Thomas was typical of the majority of enlisted men transferred from the Infantry with an average of 18 to 24 months service. Training was split between eight schools; driving and maintenance, gunnery - six pounder and machine gun, reconnaissance, signal and carrier pigeon, camouflage, revolver, gas and lastly compass school.
In June 1918 18th Battalion lost some men sent to France as reinforcements to the formations fighting there, but in August they were reinforced by experienced men from the old E Company who had recently returned from Palestine. They also recieved 229 newly conscripted men mostly farmers and miners, at full compliment there were 32 officers and 374 men. The Battalion was divided into three Companies each with a mobile workshop for maintenance, and by 1918 the tank design had moved from MkI in 1916 to Mk V . Each tank had a crew of eight men; officer commander, a driver and six gunners. The tanks were of two types, a male which had sponsons on either side each containing a Hotchkiss 6-pounder gun with 207 rounds and four .303 Hotchkiss machine guns, the female version had six .303 machine guns.
By 1911 Jane and Nathaniel were living at 112 Bridgewater Street, Farnworth with three children one of whom was Thomas. At this time Nathaniel was a Coal Hewer, Jane worked in a Cotton Mill as a Drawing Frame Tender and Thomas, now aged 14 had left school and was working at the Mill as a Mule Piecer. The piecer, also piercer or scavenger, was the lowest child's job, they worked under the Mule machinery cleaning the dust and oil, collected the cotton waste while the macine was in operation. The collected pieces of cotton were then weaved by nimble little fingers back into the operation, a dangerous job made so by the Tenters refusal to stop the machine as they were paid by volume produced.
On the outbreak of war Nathaniel, by now time served but a Special Reservist, joined his Regiment on 24th August 1914, initially posted to 3rd (Reserve) Battalion he embarked to France to join 1st Battalion on 29th November. Nathaniel joined 1st Battalion where they were based at Mazingarbe near to Bethune, on 22nd December they moved into the front line. During this night Nathaniel was captured and became a POW, there is no clue in the diary whether he was part of a patrol or captured by a patrol whilst standing sentry is not shown, he was sent to Wittenberg POW camp for enlisted men (Kriegsgetangenenlager). Jane was initially notified that her husband was missing but in March 1915 the War Office recieved the International Red Cross notification of his POW status, Jane was given the good news that her husband was alive.
The conditions in the many camps in Germany varied greatly, at this time thousands of Allied soldiers had been taken prisoner in the early German advances of the war causing overcrowding and extremely poor conditions especially in Wittenberg: there was no change of clothing, insufficient food and water and poor sanitation. The lack of water meant personal hygiene suffered and clothing went unwashed, the camp containing 8,000 men, was a breeding ground for disease. Nathaniel became ill with Typhus and died on 16th April 1915, he was buried in Berlin South-Western Cemetery.
Jane was notified which must have come as an incredible blow, but she was awarded a pension of 23 shillings per week to keep her and the three children from the marriage. Nathaniel was awarded the 1914/15 Star, British War and Victory Medals, these with his repatriated personal possessions, his identity discs and two medallions, Memorial Plaque and Scroll were also sent to Jane.
At this time Thomas was still working in the Cotton Mill but during the beginning of May 1915 he enlisted in the Lancashire Fusiliers and was posted to 15th (Service) Battalion (1st Salford) also known as the 1st Salford Pals. 15th and 16th Battalions were formed in September 1914 by the MP Mr Montague Barlow and Salford Committee in Salford, Manchester. The Pals Battalions were an initiative in the early stages of the war to encourage men to join up from various groups, work, sporting or socially based, they guaranteed that groups of friends could enlist, train and serve together. Whilst they seemed a good idea and were no doubt sucessful as a recruiting tool they were disastrous for the communities they represented at such events as the Somme Offensive in which the 1st Salfords were destroyed on that first day.
That same month, May 1915, the Pals moved to Prees Heath in Shropshire but the ground was too wet for training and on 21st June the Division moved to Catterick in North Yorkshire. Physical training, drill, route marches and time on the ranges at Strenshall all helped to hone the men into a fighting force, in August they moved again to Codford on Salisbury Plain for final training in readiness for mobilisation for war. On 22nd November 1915 they landed in Boulogne for duty on the Western Front. After a stop in a rest camp followed by instruction in the trenches the Pals joined the rotational duties between; front line, support and reserve lines, when out of the line they cleaned up trained and formed working or carrying parties. Their first offensive action was on 1st July 1916 at Thiepval Ridge where the whole Battalion was almost wiped out causing huge distress from the Manchester communities from which the men were drawn.
Thomas was not with the Pals at the Somme Offensive, it is not possible to say why as his file did not survive, but at some stage he was transferred to the Manchester Regiment with the number 44294. Initially posted to 18th (Service) Battalion (3rd City) he was transferred to 11th (Service) Battalion retaining the same number. 18th Battalion had landed in France on 6th November 1915, 11th Battalion had been formed at Ashton-Under- Lyne in August 1914. This Battalion has served in Gallipoli until December 1915 and then withdrawn from the Peninsular to Egypt, in July 1916 it had embarked to Marseille. Initially based in the Arras area 11th moved to the Somme in September, it stayed in France for the rest of the war. The most likely explanation for this transfer is that Thomas was wounded, evacuated for hospital treatment in England and on return to France was posted from an Infantry Base Unit to where the numbers were needed.
At the beginning of 1918 the Tank Corps was raising extra Battalions and took its manpower from both newly conscripted men and seasoned Infantry, Thomas was transferred to the Tank Corps and was posted to 18th Battalion with the number 308448. This Battalion was formed at Bovington Camp on 18th February 1918 under the command of Major (later Lieutenant Colonel) W Pepys DSO, in May he was replaced by Lieutenant Colonel H. E. Norton. The establishment at this time was 30 officers and 200 ranks and Thomas was typical of the majority of enlisted men transferred from the Infantry with an average of 18 to 24 months service. Training was split between eight schools; driving and maintenance, gunnery - six pounder and machine gun, reconnaissance, signal and carrier pigeon, camouflage, revolver, gas and lastly compass school.
In June 1918 18th Battalion lost some men sent to France as reinforcements to the formations fighting there, but in August they were reinforced by experienced men from the old E Company who had recently returned from Palestine. They also recieved 229 newly conscripted men mostly farmers and miners, at full compliment there were 32 officers and 374 men. The Battalion was divided into three Companies each with a mobile workshop for maintenance, and by 1918 the tank design had moved from MkI in 1916 to Mk V . Each tank had a crew of eight men; officer commander, a driver and six gunners. The tanks were of two types, a male which had sponsons on either side each containing a Hotchkiss 6-pounder gun with 207 rounds and four .303 Hotchkiss machine guns, the female version had six .303 machine guns.
Pigeon released from Sponson of Femal Tank (IWM)
Male Mk V Tank
Female Mk V Tank
During September 1918 orders were recieved for 18th Battalion to mobilise to France, on 2nd October they sailed from Southampton and landed at Le Havre the following day, this must have been at least the third time that Thomas set foot in France. The main force stayed in number 2 rest camp until the 6th October while an advance party went ahead to arrange tented accommodation at a training camp near Mirlemont, here they were Brigaded with 16th Tank Battalion and the 301st American Tank Battalion. Tanks were loaned from the gunnery school to continue training which was completed on 9th and the Battalion stood by for instructions for deployment.
On 11th November 1918 hostilities ended and the Armistice signed bringing a ceasefire into effect at 11 a.m. On 14th November the Brigade moved to billets at Orlencourt and Monchy Breton where they took possession of tanks, despite some needing substantial repair such as a new engine or gear boxes the Battalion made ready for a war they never had to fight. On 1st January 1919 the first batch of men left for the UK and demobilisation, these first men were all miners a priority group to fuel the industrial rejuvenation of the country's industry.
Throughout the winter months of 1918 a daily record of men taken to hospital sick is noted in the diary, this is no doubt the effects of the Spanish Flu of that year, it is likely that Thomas was affected as he suffered bronchial problems at this time and later. Demobilisation continued until 20th February when the last draft of one officer and 118 men were sent home, on 6th February 1919 Thomas was demobilised and posted to the army reserve class Z. This was a new reserve category developed in response to the Armistice in the event of a return to hostilities those sent home could be recalled to duty, in the event the system was not needed and Thomas was discharged on 31st March 1920, he returned to Bridgewater Street, Farnworth but to number 161. He was suffering a Bronchial condition which was deemed a result of his service and a medical examination graded his condition a 20% disability, he was awarded a pension of 5 shilling and sixpence a week from 7th February 1919. A 1933 study of both living and deceased victims of wartime Mustard Gas by doctors Harry L. Gilchrist, M.D., and Philip B. Matz, M.D. revealed that one of the residual effects was chronic Bronchitis, this was the likely cause of Thomas's condition and at least one of his transfers.
One of the two pension cards in respect of Thomas's condition shows him to be married, however, the next available record is the 1939 Register which records him living at 62, Gordon Street, Farnworth, employed as a Furnaceman and married to Ann E. Hudson born 5th June 1894, her antecedents have been elusive to-date.
Thomas was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War and Victory Medals, these with his character reference and accompanying letter from the Tank Corps are now in my collection.
On 11th November 1918 hostilities ended and the Armistice signed bringing a ceasefire into effect at 11 a.m. On 14th November the Brigade moved to billets at Orlencourt and Monchy Breton where they took possession of tanks, despite some needing substantial repair such as a new engine or gear boxes the Battalion made ready for a war they never had to fight. On 1st January 1919 the first batch of men left for the UK and demobilisation, these first men were all miners a priority group to fuel the industrial rejuvenation of the country's industry.
Throughout the winter months of 1918 a daily record of men taken to hospital sick is noted in the diary, this is no doubt the effects of the Spanish Flu of that year, it is likely that Thomas was affected as he suffered bronchial problems at this time and later. Demobilisation continued until 20th February when the last draft of one officer and 118 men were sent home, on 6th February 1919 Thomas was demobilised and posted to the army reserve class Z. This was a new reserve category developed in response to the Armistice in the event of a return to hostilities those sent home could be recalled to duty, in the event the system was not needed and Thomas was discharged on 31st March 1920, he returned to Bridgewater Street, Farnworth but to number 161. He was suffering a Bronchial condition which was deemed a result of his service and a medical examination graded his condition a 20% disability, he was awarded a pension of 5 shilling and sixpence a week from 7th February 1919. A 1933 study of both living and deceased victims of wartime Mustard Gas by doctors Harry L. Gilchrist, M.D., and Philip B. Matz, M.D. revealed that one of the residual effects was chronic Bronchitis, this was the likely cause of Thomas's condition and at least one of his transfers.
One of the two pension cards in respect of Thomas's condition shows him to be married, however, the next available record is the 1939 Register which records him living at 62, Gordon Street, Farnworth, employed as a Furnaceman and married to Ann E. Hudson born 5th June 1894, her antecedents have been elusive to-date.
Thomas was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War and Victory Medals, these with his character reference and accompanying letter from the Tank Corps are now in my collection.
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