Thomas Childs was born in London Colney, Hertfordshire on Thursday, 8th February 1883 and baptised three months later on Sunday, 6th May. He was the second son and fourth child born to Thomas Childs and Hannah Kiff and he had seven siblings. His brothers and sisters were: Millicent, Edward, Rose all older, and Annie, Arthur, Harry and Frank. His father Thomas took his young family to Radlett not long after Thomas was born, where he took up a new position as a Park Keeper at Newberries Park the site of an orphanage. When he was old enough Thomas went to school in Watford, first to Shenley Road School before moving to Beechen Grove Board School in Red Lion Yard in the town. The school was unusual in that it was next door to a public house, The Woodman’s Arms. He left school in 1895.

The family then moved to Leverstock Green, close to Hemel Hempstead, where Thomas senior had taken the lease on North End Farm in the village and where young Thomas would grow up. By 1901, Thomas and two of his brothers were working for their father on the farm and ten years later he had been joined by his two youngest brothers, Harry and Frank.

The farm was the venue in 1902 for the village's coronation celebrations as King Edward VIII ascended to the throne and Thomas Snr. advertised the fact in the Hemel Gazette as follows: "……..At 12.30 a dinner will be provided at Northend farm for men and boys over 13, Athletic sports commence at 2 pm, and a tea will be given to all inhabitants at 4. At 9.30 there will be a procession to the green and a bonfire will be lit at 10……”  Little did they know that the farmhouse would itself become a "bonfire" when it burnt down some sixty years later.

On the outbreak of war Thomas and his brothers continued to work on their father’s farm as their jobs were "starred", similar to the reserved occupations of the Second World War. By this time Thomas had met Lizzie Pearce who lived in Rucklers Lane in nearby Kings Langley and they were sweethearts. Thomas and Lizzie married on Saturday, 29th May 1915 in Holy Trinity Church a short distance from North End Farm in Leverstock Green. The couple set up home in Leather Bottle Terrace in the village and Thomas changed his job and became a Gardener. A year after their marriage their only child Reginald Thomas was born on the 16th May.

Thomas enlisted in August 1916 and joined the Bedfordshire Regiment and following a relatively brief period of training, went to France in early November of the same year. He was posted to the 2nd Battalion and joined his unit at the front on the 6th November at Berles-au-Bois near Arras.

In April 1917 Thomas saw his first serious action in the Battle of Arras at the First Battle of the Scarpe which he survived unscathed. June of the year saw him fight in the Battle of Messines Ridge before the 2nd Bedfords moved to Belgium and fought in the Battle of Pilckem Ridge, the opening engagement in the Battle of Ypres. This was the last significant engagement for the Battalion that year and during the remaining months, Thomas found himself training or supporting in reserve. By March the following year, Thomas was back in France and fought in the Battle of St Quentin, the opening engagement of the 1918 Somme offensive. Thomas was fortunately not one of the 569 casualties suffered by the Bedfords in this battle.

The Battle of Kemmel followed in April and for the next few months Thomas was engaged in actions in the trenches. At the end of June he was near Albert and again engaged in active operations, when on the first day of July he was one of eight men killed in the trenches.

Thomas died on Tuesday, 1st July 1918.

Thomas is Remembered with Honour on the Pozières Memorial, Somme, France where his named is engraved on Panel 28 and 29.

He was 34 years old when he died.

Thomas was eligible for the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal.