Hemming Thomas Herbert 1892

Thomas Herbert Hemming

 

1892-1967

Father Nm: Charles Gibbs Hemming 1857–1935 BIRTH ABT 1857 • Gloucestershire
DEATH JUL 1935 • Rugby, Warwickshire,

Mother Nm: Bathsheba Matthews 1859–1950
BIRTH ABT 1859 • Warwickshire, England DEATH JUL 1950 • Rugby, Warwickshire

Marriage Dt: Jul 1918 • Rugby, Warwickshire

K comments:
Spouse comments: Elizabeth Jane Blinco [4523]  1896–1983 BIRTH 10 JAN 1896 Rugby
DEATH JAN 1983 • Rugby

Children.

Born 1892

9 AUG 1892 Rugby

1901 census

Rugby
Charles Hemming 44
Bathsheba Hemming 42
Charles H Hemming 21
Betsy Hemming 20
William Hemming 19
Fanny Hemming 17
Sarah Hemming 15
Caroline Hemming 8
Thomas Hemming 7
James Hemming 6
Frank Hemming 4
Deliah Hemming 11/12

1911 CENSUS

Rugby
Charles Hemming 54
Bethsheba Hemming 52
Fanny Hemming 25
Caroline Hemming 19
Tom Hemming 19 Oil Carter
Jim Hemming 17
Frank Hemming 15
Dilia Hemming 10
Percy Bounds 21

WW1

Hemming Thomas Herbert, 1892, Private 1355, 16115, 1st Bn. Royal Warwickshire Regt, 10 Infantry Brigade Machine Gun Company, 4th Battalion Machine Gun Corps

1914

Note: Thomas likely enlisted in 1914 but was to embark in 1915 for France to join his Regiment. The 1st Battalion, Warwickshire Regiment was based in Shorncliffe when war broke out in August 1914. They were part of the 10th Brigade, 4th Division which was held back from the original British Expeditionary Force by a last-minute decision to defend England against a possible German landing. The fate of the BEF in France and the lack of any move by the enemy to cross the channel, reversed this decision and the 1st Warwick’s proceeded to France on the 22nd of August 1914, arriving in time to provide infantry reinforcements at the Battle of Le Cateau, the Artillery, Engineers, Field Ambulances and mounted troops being still en-route at this time. They were in action at The Battle of the Marne, The Battle of the Aisne and at The Battle of Messines in 1914. In 1915 they fought in The Second Battle of Ypres.

1915

• 4 May. Landed in France to join the 1st Bn Warwickshire Regiment. Note: This was shortly after the 1st Bn had suffered great losses at the 2nd Battle of Ypres. Blencowe Family member Robert W Blinco was wounded in this battle when 216 men were killed on the 25th of April.
• May. Thomas joined the battalion at Vlamertinghe in Belgium and was among the draftees brought in to build up the strength of the battalion. The War Diary “In bivouac re-organising Coys and NCO’s Draft of 159 joined from the base.”

  

• 22 July. The 10th Infantry Brigade including 1st Warwicks left the Flanders front and entrained for Doullens and then on to the Somme front.
• Jul-Dec. For the balance of the year, the battalion was in and around trenches at Sucrerie near Mailly–Maillet, with a considerable amount of time in the trenches casualties were moderate but overall a quiet time for the battalion.

• 25 October. The 10th Infantry Brigade and probably Thomas were inspected by the King and President Poincare of France at Acheux Chateua south Amiens  the 4th Division HQ.

  

• October-December. Early on in the war the Infantry Battalions like the 1st Bn Warwicks would have had two machine gunners per battalion, later that was increased to four and  I suspect that Thomas was picked out for this role and trained to use the Maxim Machine Gun at the Machine Gun School at Wisques in France. However, in October 1915 the MG Corps was formed and he was likely transferred to the 10 Infantry Brigade unit the 10 MGC Brigade. In 1916 he was given a new regimental number 16115. Shortly after the formation of the MGC, the Maxim guns were replaced by the Vickers, which became a standard gun for the next five decades.

1916

• Battle of Albert (1-13 July). The 10 MG Coy took part in the attack between Serre and Beaumont Hamel.  10 MG Coy had one man killed in the month

 

The maps show first the front line on 1st July and the position of the 4th Division in front of Beaumont Hamel  The second map shows the detailed attack lines of the Beaumont sector.

• 1-18 October. Battle of Le Transloy. On the 7 October. The 10MG Coy moved NE from billets in Aubigny on the Somme to Meaulte south of Albert. On the 9 October, they went into trenches and took a limited part in the action of this battle. At the end of the month moved back into billets at Bellfontaine.

1917

Note: While there was plenty of action in 1917 , I’ve chosen just to list the main battles for the 10 Inf Bde MG Coy and added the war diary  10 Inf Bde Macine Gun Coy WO-95-1485-1_1 and 10 Inf Bde Machine Gun Coy WO-95-1485-1_2 as links for those interested in the detail.

• 9-14 April. First Battle of the Scarpe
• 3-4 May.Third Battle of the Scarpe
• 26 September-3 October.Battle of Polygon Wood
• 9 October. Battle of Poelcapelle
• 12. October. First Battle of Passchendaele

  

1918

Note: In 1918 Thomas was with the 4th Battalion MGC in the Lillers sector front line, he was wounded some time in this location, we dont have records to show when . However on 30 July 1918 he was awarded a wound stripe a recognition of his wound in battle.  Given he was home in july to marry Elizabeth Jane Blinco in Rugby it seems the most likely times for a wound were when the battalion was fending off the German Spring Offensive in April possibly May. We have no details but it would seem he was invalided out of the front line and likely home to England for treatment. Note I have included 4th Bn MGC movements and casualties up to 30 July 1918.

• 26 February 1918. As the Machine Gun troops were re-organised the 10th Bde. MGC was  moved to 4th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps,
• 20 March. The 4th Bn MGC were at Arras front line. The diary describes the MGC firing at enemy planes that were attacking front line trenches. near Fampoux and Roeux. 
• 28-31  March. Enemy attack (part of German Spring offensive) Bn casualties were light in this defensive encounter except for D Coy who est 45 casualties over the next few days though monthly totals were 5 men killed 43 wounded.
• 1-7 April. German attack continued with Gas shelling included.
• 8 April Relieved to Agnez les Duisans 16 km behind the front line.
• 12-18 April. The 4th Division moved to Lillers area 56kms to the northeast and into 1st Corps 1st Army. Moved to the front line at Haut Rieux from there took up positions along the Bassee Canal before attacking between Robecq and Pacaut eventually crossing the Canal and capturing some guns and POW’s. Casualties for the period 10 Officers and 70 men.
  
• April. Wounded. Invalided to England  and for Thomas, the war is over. Married in July he likely was able to return before the end of the war.
• Note: The CWGC records these men killed in April;
  • TAIT TN 132935 4TH BN 14/04/1918 MACHINE GUN CORPS
  • HOULSTON GE 5011 4TH BN 18/04/1918 MACHINE GUN CORPS
  • ABLETT A – 4TH BN 22/04/1918 MACHINE GUN CORPS

For the purposes of completeness and because of lack of concrete evidence that Thomas didn’t return the details of the 4th Bn. MGC continued.

• 29-31 May. Having held the ground until this day the enemy raided posts and activity increased including the use of Mustard gas. Note: The CWGC records these three men killed in May;
  • TDEANE A 97873 4TH BN 29/05/1918 MACHINE GUN CORPS
  • FLOYD GH 86844 4TH BN 31/05/1918 MACHINE GUN CORPS
  • PARGETER AB 148812 4TH BN 31/05/1918 MACHINE GUN CORPS
• June. Increased activity in and around the front line . The CWGC records these two men killed in June;
  • SMITH JA 84478 4TH BN 07/06/1918 MACHINE GUN CORPS
  • HARRIS FE X/27710 4TH BN 10/06/1918 MACHINE GUN CORPS

    

• July. Increase artillery exchanges raids etc on the front. The CWGC records these two men killed in July
  • WHATELEY G 143087 4TH BN 11/07/1918 MACHINE GUN CORP
  • ARNOLD AL 137583 4TH BN 20/07/1918 MACHINE GUN CORPS
• 30 July. Thomas was awarded a wound stripe on this date.

1919

• Discharged

Medals

Sources

1. 1. Ancestry  and BFA database
   2. Long Long Trail Website
   3. War Diaries  1st Warwickshire Bn, 10th Infantry Brigade and 10 Inf Brigade Machine Gun Coy.

After the War

1939 Census

25 Wood St. Rugby
Thomas H Hemming 47 Slinger Heavy Worker
Elizabeth Hemming 43
Joan K Hemming 18

Death 1967

January Quarter Rugby

Gallery

There are service records in the National archives for this person they can be viewed and download from their website https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/

Full Name
Hemming, T H
Incident Details
War Office Daily List No.5631
Incident Date
30 Jul 1918
More Information
Entitled to wear a “Wound Stripe” as authorised under Army Order 204 of 6th July 1916. The terms of this award being met by being named in this list.
Rank Name
Private
Servicenumber
16115
Casualty Listed as
Wounded.
Next of Kin Address
Rugby
Service
British Army
Primary Unit
Machine Gun Corps
Archive Reference
NLS 1918_WList53
Conflict Period
World War I
Served for
United Kingdom