Thomas John Moody, known as Tom, was born on Tuesday, 30th May 1889 the youngest son born to Charles Moody and Matilda Henrietta Payn. Together Charles and Matilda had seven children who were; Matilda, Philip, William, Mabel, Rosa, and twins Thomas and Alice. Tom’s oldest sister Matilda died in 1896.

The family lived at 13 Church Street, Romsey, Hampshire when Tom was born and where his father worked as a ‘Gunmaker/Cutler’ employing his two oldest sons Philip and William. The Moody business still exists today at the same address which Tom’s father bought and rebuilt in 1918. When Charles Moody died in 1927, his eldest surviving daughter discovered an ancient building hidden behind the crumbling exterior which dated back to the 1570’s. Today it stands behind the shop as King John’s House and the Tudor Cottage and is the site of the local heritage centre.

Tom’s mother Matilda was from St Helier in the Channel Islands and she married Charles there in June 1878. Her unusual, but distinguished, surname ’Payn’ derives from a medieval French male name ‘Paien’ meaning “rustic or country dweller” and comes from the Latin ‘Paganus’, which has also given us the word ‘Pagan’ today. Matilda died when the twins Tom and Alice were only eight years old in 1898.

Tom trained and qualified as a teacher and in 1912 obtained a post as Assistant Schoolmaster at George Street primary school in Hemel Hempstead. On the outbreak of war Tom immediately sought to enlist but was rejected and deemed unfit for service. However, he made a second attempt in October 1915 and was accepted for service in the Colours.

He enlisted with the London Regiment (Queen’s Westminster Rifles) and was sent to nearby Leverstock Green where the Westminster Rifles were billeted. His training lasted until June 1916 when he was posted to the 1st/16th Battalion and sent to France, disembarking on the 24th June and arriving at Saint-Amand about twelve miles south west of Arras, on the 4th July 1916.

Within two days Tom was in the trenches at Foncquevillers and the Battalion War Diary recorded the appalling conditions: ‘1916 July 6th …parts of fire trenches 2’ 6” deep in water. Communication Trenches waist deep in parts. Trenches as bad as any the Battalion has ever taken over. Part of Trench Z.48 on S. Side of FONQUEVILLERS [sic]-LA BRAYELLE ROAD has been blown in by hostile shelling and in parts was waist deep in water…’

The next two days were reported to be ‘very wet’ until the 9th July, a ‘Fine Day’, when only one death was recorded. It is likely that this was Tom who is officially recorded ‘Killed’ on Sunday, 9th July 1916. He had been at the Front for only five days when he died.

He had been dangerously wounded when he was shot by a sniper and was being stretchered to a Casualty Clearing Station but succumbed en-route.

Tom’s father Charles had written to him on the 13th July 1916 four days after he died and tragically, before the family had been informed of his death. The letter was subsequently returned by the War Office marked-up ‘Killed’ and stamped ‘Deceased’.

A report about his death appeared in the Hemel Gazette shortly after he died followed a week later with further information about how Tom died.

Tom is Remembered with Honour at the Foncquevillers Military Cemetery Pas de Calais, France where he is interred in Grave I.L.1. The inscription on his headstone, requested by his father Charles, reads: “YOUNGEST SON OF CHARLES & MATILDA HENRIETTA MOODY ROMSEY, HAMPSHIRE, ENGLAND BORN MAY 30TH 1889”

He was 27 years old when he died.

Tom was entitled to the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal.