Henry Thomas Allen
Born in Fenstanton in 1880, Thomas (as he preferred to be called) was the second youngest in a family of six boys and three girls. At the time of his birth his father, Robert, aged 45yrs, was working as a bricklayer, probably self-employed. Thomas' two eldest brothers of working age were also bricklayers.
Robert died on 26 February 1891 aged 56yrs, when Thomas was 11 years of age. In Robert's will he left £51 5s. to his wife, equivalent to £6,000 today. Eliza, aged 50yrs, took over the bricklaying business. Robert's death seems to have caused the breakup of the family. Matthew, aged 15yrs, lodged with a relative in Eliza's home village of Wilburton. Rebecca, aged 19yrs, set off to London to work as a servant. Thomas remained at home, working in the bricklaying business.
By 1911 the family had moved to Church Street, Fenstanton. Although Thomas' mother was still alive aged 71yrs, older brother James was the head of household. The three brothers living at home, including Thomas, were all bricklayers, but no longer self-employed.
Thomas married Florence Hutson in 1912. Their first son, Robert, was born in 1912 and died the same year. Two more sons followed, Walter Charles in August 1913, and Henry Thomas in February 1915.
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Why would a married man with two young sons and a wife about to give birth enlist to fight? Although compulsory conscription didn't start until January 1916, and then initially only for single men, nevertheless there was tremendous pressure to sign up. Even married men with children were pressurised, as shown in this advert from the Hunts Post. He joined the 1st/4th Northamptonshire Regiment as a Private.
After several months training, Thomas left with his Regiment from Liverpool, bound for Gallipoli. The aim of the Gallipoli campaign was to knock Turkey, Germany's ally, out of the war. Started in February 1915, just about every aspect had been disastrous. Six battleships were sunk or badly damaged. Two landings were met with fierce opposition, pinned down within hundreds of yards of the landing sites.
The 1st/4th Northamptonshire Regiment landed in Sulva Bay on 15 August 1915. The battle there had commenced on the 6th August 1915. Despite encountering only light opposition, the landing was mismanaged from the start and became bogged down, quickly reaching stalemate. So bad was the state of affairs, the British Commander was dismissed within the week.
Thomas would have encountered a vision of hell. Pinned down in suffocating heat of up to 45c, the British forces lacked water. With only one ceasefire in May 1915 for the burying of dead, rotting corpses, vermin and thick swarms of flies surrounded the trenches. The stench was horrendous. Much of the fighting involved failed attempts to dislodge the Turkish forces from higher ground.
Thomas was hit in the head by a piece of shrapnel, dying of his wounds on 31 August 1915 aged 35yrs. He'd lasted just over two weeks. He is buried at the 7th Field Ambulance Cemetery, on the road to Sulva, Turkey. There are 640 servicemen buried or commemorated there. Thomas left behind a widow and three very young children.
The irony of Gallipoli was that the withdrawal of all Commonwealth troops was the only successful operation. Over a period of three weeks in December 1915 80,000 men were evacuated with few casualties and little knowledge by the Turkish forces. After 10 months of fighting and 56,000 Commonwealth soldiers' deaths, little had been achieved.
Being born and bred in Fenstanton, Thomas is commemorated on the Fenstanton War Memorial and on a plaque in Fenstanton Parish Church. So it's a bit of a puzzle why he's also commemorated on the St Ives War Memorial. Possibly most of his work as a bricklayer was carried on in St Ives, making him a familiar face in the town.
Do you have any additional information about Thomas? If so, please get in touch via the make contact page.
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| British soldiers attacking at Sulva Bay |
Thomas was hit in the head by a piece of shrapnel, dying of his wounds on 31 August 1915 aged 35yrs. He'd lasted just over two weeks. He is buried at the 7th Field Ambulance Cemetery, on the road to Sulva, Turkey. There are 640 servicemen buried or commemorated there. Thomas left behind a widow and three very young children.
The irony of Gallipoli was that the withdrawal of all Commonwealth troops was the only successful operation. Over a period of three weeks in December 1915 80,000 men were evacuated with few casualties and little knowledge by the Turkish forces. After 10 months of fighting and 56,000 Commonwealth soldiers' deaths, little had been achieved.
Being born and bred in Fenstanton, Thomas is commemorated on the Fenstanton War Memorial and on a plaque in Fenstanton Parish Church. So it's a bit of a puzzle why he's also commemorated on the St Ives War Memorial. Possibly most of his work as a bricklayer was carried on in St Ives, making him a familiar face in the town.
Do you have any additional information about Thomas? If so, please get in touch via the make contact page.
Source materials
Click any of the links below to view original source materials.
1881 Census
1891 Census
1901 Census
1911 Census
Medal Rolls Index Card
Army Register of Soldier's Effects
Commonwealth War Graves Register
Commemorative Certificate
Click any of the links below to view original source materials.
1881 Census
1891 Census
1901 Census
1911 Census
Medal Rolls Index Card
Army Register of Soldier's Effects
Commonwealth War Graves Register
Commemorative Certificate
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