Thomas William Jennings was born in Hemel Hempstead in 1885, the sixth child of John Thomas Jennings and Elizabeth Sells who had eight children together. Thomas’ siblings were: Charles, Edwin, May Jane, Rose Elizabeth and Martha who were all older. His younger brothers were Frederick and Horace. He also had an older step-sister Elizabeth Sells. His brothers Frederick and Horace both served in the Great War with the Labour Corps and the Machine Gun Corps respectively. Both survived the conflict, although Horace was discharged in February 1917 as a result of wounds received. Thomas’ brother-in-law Ernest Claridge was also killed in the Great War in 1916. His biography appears on this site.

His father Thomas was a "Gas Stoker" and worked for the Hemel Hempstead District Gas Company in the nearby "Duckhall" area of Boxmoor, where his job involved keeping the furnaces continually burning. The Jennings family lived on the London Road in Boxmoor, where Thomas grew up and went to school. He started work in 1898 when he followed some of his older siblings into Apsley Mills. The 1901 census records his occupation as a "Paper Maker" and he continued to work for John Dickinson & Co. Limited until he went to war. 

Whilst at Dickinsons, he met Ellen Claridge who came from Queen Street in Hemel Hempstead and they became sweethearts. The young couple married in the summer of 1909 and soon set up home together at 2 White Lion Street in Apsley, where their first child Rose was born at the end of the year. Thomas William followed in 1911 and then Edwin and Charles arrived in 1913 and 1914 respectively. By this time, Thomas had moved his family to 10 White Lion Street and he was working as a ‘Storeman’ with Dickinsons. He was also a well-known member of the Dickinsons Fire Brigade. This was a private fire brigade set up at the mills in 1883 and continued to operate until 1990.

He had also joined the local Territorial Force and was still serving on the outbreak of war, which meant he was amongst the first men mobilised. Thomas and his younger brother Horace volunteered on the same day and attested at Hemel Hempstead. Both enlisted with the Rifle Brigade, although Horace would later transfer to the Machine Gun Corps. Given Thomas’ military experience he was immediately posted overseas and left for France on the 10th September 1914, only a week after he volunteered. He disembarked with the 3rd Battalion two days later at St Nazaire.

The 3rd Rifle Brigade came under the orders of the 6th Division which had been hastily sent to France, arriving just in time to reinforce the hard-pressed British Expeditionary Force on the Aisne. This meant that Thomas was immediately in action at the Battle of the Aisne in September, before moving to Flanders in November. In 1915 a report appeared in the Hemel Gazette which related the story of Thomas’ first home leave on Monday 1st February. 

Thomas went back to his unit at the Front and during the next twelve months he rose through the ranks, until he was promoted Serjeant in 1916. He saw action at the Battle of Delville Wood in July and the Battle of Guillemont in September 1916. The following year saw Thomas fight in the Battles of Vimy Ridge in April, Messines in June, Passchendaele in October and finally, Cambrai in November 1917.

At the end of January 1918 Thomas was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal (D.C.M.) for an act of outstanding gallantry, which was described in his citation in the London Gazette. His actions also resulted in a recommendation for the award of the Croix de Guerre by the French military authorities. In February 1918, he was given some home leave and came back to his family in Apsley, sadly this would be the last time they would see him. On his return to his unit he fought in the battles of St Quentin followed immediately by Bapaume.

These actions proved disastrous for the allied forces, as the Germans attacked with great intensity and without respite for many days starting on the 21st March. Between that date and the 5th April, the 3rd Battalion Rifle Brigade suffered significant casualties and these were recorded in the unit War Diaries as follows:

          "Casualties

           21.3.18 - 5.4.18

                                         O.      O.R.

          Killed                      7    -    34

         Wounded               11  -    246

         Wounded                1   -     14

        + Missing

        Missing                   4   -     116

        Total                       23  -     410"

 

Sadly Thomas was one of the soldiers killed and he died on Wednesday, 27th March 1918. News of his death was reported in the Hemel Gazette a month later.

He was commemorated on the War Memorials of John Dickinson & Co. Limited and in St Mary’s Church, Apsley End.

Thomas is Remembered with Honour on the Pozieres Memorial, Somme, France, Panel 81 to 84.

He was 32 years old when he died.

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