The Somme Remembered – 14th July 1916
Cecil Cuthbert Thompson is the second man with a Wakefield connection to be mentioned in this series of 31 Days 31 Casualties – The Somme Remembered.
Cecil was born in 1890, the son of Samuel and Fanny Thompson , who in 1901 lived at Paragon Terrace, Monk Bretton. Cecil, at this time, was the eldest of three children. Samuel worked as an Agent for the Prudential Assurance Company.
Ten years later in 1911, Samuel was an Assistant Superintendent with an Assurance Company. Cecil, the eldest of three children, was a scholastic student, like his sister Constance Priscilla, who was two years his junior – home for the family was 156 Hough Lane, Wombwell, Yorkshire.
Cecil attended Barnsley Grammar School, then University College Reading. Following University he was appointed a master at Handsworth Grammar School, Birmingham and in late 1914 was admitted as a member of the Royal Geographical Society.
While at university Cecil became a sergeant in the Reading University OTC, later being gazetted as a second lieutenant, by the December 1914 he became a lieutenant in the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.
Cecil’s regiment had been involved in the Battle of Ypres. At the battle of Festubert in 1915 he was wounded, resulting in his return to England, during which time he married Mary Ward during late summer in the Oxford area.
The 2nd battalion of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, which Cecil was part of, had been initially held in reserve for events which would take place on the 1st of July, but after approximately 90 minutes, when the leading waves of the 96th brigade had been mowed down by machine-gun fire, the 2nd btn moved forward and also suffered badly. The 2nd spent a few days out of the line to rest, write letters and prepare themselves for what was to come.
Ovillers CWGC cemetery via CWGC
On the 9th of July the 2nd went forward and during the next four days were involved in attacks to the west of the village of Warloy, with the hope of gaining ground and holding against the enemy.
On the 14th of July the 2nd Inniskilling Fusiliers retired to Bouzincourt after 267 men and officers had received injuries. Cecil was one of those officers and he now rests in Ovillers Military Cemetery near Albert along with over 3000 other casualties of war.
Probate for Cecil was on 10 November 1916, where Mary was left £316 9s 3d.
By now Mary was living at 18 Monmouth Road, Bayswater, London
Cecil’s younger brother Arthur Henry Thompson, who served as Private 12/1363 in the York and Lancaster Regiment. He was reported missing on the 1st of July 1916 aged 22, and subsequently
Thiepval Memorial via CWGC
presumed dead. He is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing along with many others whose final resting place is known only unto their God.
Arthur, born in Wakefield, worked as a bank clerk and gave his address as West View, Outwood, Wakefield. He enlisted on the 8th of March 1915 in Sheffield, later serving in the Mediterranean, disembarking in Alexandria in January 1916 followed by France in March of 1916. As Arthur’s service records have survived, one sheet gives his parents and siblings name along with the family’s address, which is now given as Oaklea, Westville Road, Barnsley. This page being declared to be true by the local vicar. The following page of Arthur’s service record has the Outwood address crossed through to be replaced by the Oaklea address.
In September 1917 Arthur’s effects were sent to his father at the Outwood address. In total he served 1 years 116 days.
Can you imagine how the family must have felt, losing a son and brother-in-law on the 1st of July and 14 days later losing a son and a husband. Not only would they have had to cope with the death of two young men in as many weeks, they would have to contend with War Office paperwork that would continue for years.
Jane Ainsworth has recently published a book ‘The Great Sacrifice – The Old Boys of Barnsley Holgate Grammar School in the First World War‘ published by Helion & Co. The book is also available from Amazon