Thomas Alderman was born in Harpenden on 10th July 1896, the fourth child of David and Lucy. His early life was spent in Harpenden, but the family moved a number of times as Thomas’ father David, a stockman, found jobs on different farms. His mother Lucy died early in 1906 leaving David alone to raise Thomas and his 4 siblings, Rosella, Cecil, Lilly and William.

By 1911 the family had settled at Woodlane End near Leverstock Green and Thomas, now 14 years old, was working as an errand boy at Dickinson’s Paper Mills.

  

Within two years, Thomas was employed by Midland Railways as a Porter and his trade union membership records his date of admission as 30th August 1913, in the month following his 17th birthday. The Midland Railway, Hemel Hempstead Branch or the ‘Nickey Line’ was one of two competing rail companies servicing Hemel Hempstead when Thomas joined. 

From its early days serving the straw plait trade in Luton, the line was affectionately known locally as ‘Puffing Annie’. It was named for the engines which created much steam and smoke as they climbed the steep grade from the town centre up through Highfield. The main station was situated at the top of Midland Road opposite where the Midland Hotel stands today and about a mile from Thomas’ home in Woodlane End.

Thomas was amongst the early intake to the National Union of Railwaymen, which was newly formed on 29th March 1913, because of the consolidation of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, the General Railway Workers' Union and the United Pointsmen's and Signalmen's Society. This amalgamation grew out of the 1911 national railway strike and by the end of 1913 it boasted a total of 267,611 members.

The Railways provided secure and relatively well-paid work at that time and Thomas would have earned an annual wage of approximately £57 for a six-day working week. ³ This equated to 22 shillings per week which was also the weekly food expenditure for a standard family in 1913.

No doubt he intended this job as a long-term position and despite the increasing speculation over possible hostilities, probably did not anticipate his time with the Midland Railways would end quite so soon.

Thomas’ war began when he enlisted for military service at Watford during January 1915, following which he was posted to the 13th Bn. Royal Fusiliers, 37th division assembling at Hounslow. Here he underwent basic military training before moving to Salisbury Plain during April 1915, where the next stage of training took place. He was stationed at Windmill Camp near Ludgershall and Battalion preparations culminated with an inspection of the troops by King George V on 25th June at nearby Sidbury Hill.

The departure to France started during the afternoon of 30th July 1915, and 13th Bn. needed two trains to transport it to Folkestone where the troops boarded the S.S. Golden Eagle. Escorted by two Royal Naval destroyers it sailed for Boulogne arriving later the same day.

Within two weeks the Battalion suffered its first death from shrapnel and a further 31 men were killed in the next ten months. Thomas saw action in the in the front line during this period, until January 1916 when he went down the line for several months. By the time of his return to the front line on 27th May 1916, he had been transferred to 32nd Bn., Royal Fusiliers, 41st division with the rank of Lance Corporal. 

After nearly a year on active service Thomas received leave during June 1916 which was to be his last visit to his home before he died.

In early September 32nd battalion were in Fricourt Camp, three miles east of Albert in the Somme valley. On the 14th a move to the front line began in readiness for the assault on the German lines the next morning.

The Battle of Flers–Courcelette (15–22 September 1916) resulted in 29,376 British casualties with 41st Division suffering 3000. The 32nd Bn. casualties for the day were 293 of whom 87 were killed. This offensive was also notable for the first deployment of the newly invented ‘Tank’ in support of the infantry advances.

It was during the first day of this offensive that Thomas was seriously wounded and moved back 12km to XV corps main dressing station. He died of his wounds there on 15th September 1916.

As well as the Hemel Hempstead War Memorial, Thomas is commemorated on memorials at Leverstock Green, Carey Baptist church in the Marlowes and St Paul’s church, Hemel Hempstead. Articles in the Hemel Hempstead Gazette reported that he was remembered in memorial services at both Carey and St Paul’s in October and November 1916.

He was eligible for the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal.

Thomas is buried in Dartmoor Cemetery, Becordel-Becourt, Plot II Row A grave 12.

  

He was only 20 years old when he fell.

He was entitled to the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal.