Born: 1887, Bradford
Died: 16 April 1917
Buried: Achiet le Grand Communal Cemetery, Extension
Address: 1 Valley View Grove, Idle Road, Eccleshill
Parents: Joseph & Elizabeth, nee Bray
Spouse: Elizabeth Alice, nee Elener
Siblings: Five sisters, four brothers
Occupation: Woolsorter, Christopher Ward, Nelson Street, Bradford
Organisations/clubs:
Military
Rank: Cpl
Medals/awards:
Rolls of Honour:
Children:
Regiment: West Yorkshire
Thomas Gomersall
Thomas Gomersall was born in
Bradford in 1887 the eldest son of
ten children of Joseph and
Elizabeth, nee Bray.
In the 1901 census, the family were
living at 153 Barkerend Road and
Thomas, at 13 years of age, was
working as a plumber.
On the 27th December 1909 at St
Chrysostom Church in Bolton
Road, Thomas married Elizabeth
Alice Elener who was 22 years of
age, and living at 38 Exmouth
Place, the daughter of Robert
Elener, a builder. Thomas was 22
years of age, a woolsorter.
In 1911 both Thomas and his sister
Elizabeth Alice were living with
Elizabeth’s father Robert at 38
Exmouth Place, Cliffe
Road. A child had been
born in 1911 and named
for his grandfather
Robert.
At the time of Thomas’s
enlistment he was
employed as a
woolsorter by Messrs
Christopher Ward of
Nelson Street, Bradford
and at some point
during his war service
the family moved to Valley View
Grove, Idle.
Thomas enlisted in November 1914
as Private 235219 in the 2nd/8th
Battalion of the Prince of Wales
Own (West Yorkshire Regiment).
His Battalion did not
leave for the Western
Front until January 1917
when they landed at Le
Havre.
He was involved in the
Operations on the Ancre
11th January to 13th
March 1917 and then in
the pursuit of the German
retreat to the Hindenburg
Line from 14th of March
to the 5th of May 1917.
At some point during these
operations Thomas was promoted
to corporal before being wounded
in the pursuit of the German Army
and dying of these wounds on the
16th April 1917. He was 29 years
of age.
He is buried in the Achiet-Le-Grand
Communal Cemetery Extenson.
From April 1917 to March 1918,
the village was occupied by the
45th and 49th Casualty Clearing
Stations. Achiet station was an
allied railhead. The communal
cemetery and extension were used
by Commonwealth medical units
from April 1917 to March 1918.
Thomas left his effects to his
widow and child who received
£9.9.7d on the 10th of September
1917 and a War Gratuity of
£12.0.0d on the 4th November
1919.
Researched and written by Jean Britteon,
to whom many thanks
