265522 Pte Thomas Edward Collinge, 1/4th Bn, King's Own

265522 Private Thomas Edward Collinge of the 1/4th Battalion, King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment) was killed in action on the 23rd October 1918. He was born in Bentham, Yorkshire and enlisted at Lancaster.

Surviving papers in the WO 363 series at the National Archives reveal that Thomas originally joined the 5th King's Own on 16th March 1909. He was 25 years and five months old, stood five feet five and a half inches tall and was a brick setter by trade. He was given the army number 703.

On 19th October 1914 at Didcot, Thomas took the Imperial Service pledge to serve overseas. He appears to have remained in England until 4th April 1917 although there are also gaps in his service history. He certainly embarked - perhaps for a second time - at Folkestone and disembarked Boulogne on 5th July 1917. He was posted to the 2/5th King's Own the following day and then transferred to the 1/4th King's Own on 13th September 1917. This is when he would have been allocated the number 265522.

Between 13th and 27th February 1918 Thomas was on furlough in England and the following month, despite being a time-expired Territorial, he was re-engaged under the Military Service Act of 1916. On 19th April 1918 he was admitted to the 2/1st Wessex Field Ambulance with exhaustion but returned to his battalion the following day.

On 27th May 1918, Thomas's sister, Alice Collinge wrote to the military authorities:

Dear Sir

Would you please forward 265522 Pte F E Collinge's time expired papers to his commanding officer. His time was expired in March so would you be so kind as to forward his papers on. He asked me in his letter if I would write and ask you for him as [I] had a better chance [than he] had. I am his sister so I hope you will excuse me taking this liberty.

It was to no avail and Thomas was killed in action a few months later. In April 1919 his mother received a pathetic bundle of effects containing his two identity discs, letters, photographs, a metal mirror, two religious books, a broken rosary, a savings receipt and religious emblems. Three years later, she received his British War and Victory medals.

Thomas Collinge is buried in Froidmont Communal Cemetery, one of nine First Word War burials at this cemetery.

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

Sources:

Ancestry.co.uk (MIC, WO363)
Army Ancestry
Army Service Numbers 1881-1918
Commonwealth War Graves Commission