Thomas Armitage Hewitt

Rank:RiflemanNumber:617
Ship/Rgn/Sqn No:05th Bn [1]
Name of Rgt or Ship:London Rgt (London Rifle Brigade)
Died:03/05/15Age:26
Country of burial:Belgium
Cemetery or Memorial:Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial
Town Memorial:Not Listed
Extra Information:
Born during the March quarter 1889 in the Edmonton (London) R.D. - ref:
3a/270, the son of Thomas & Sarah Ann Hewitt (nee Doyle).  In 1881 Thomas
Snr was residing at 2 Leaf Square, Pendleton.

1891 Census - 43 Crouch Hall Road, Hornsey, Middlesex.   Son - aged: 2 -
born: Crouch End, Middlesex.    Head of household - Thomas Hewitt - Married
- aged: 37 - occ: Solicitor - born: Pendleton, Manchester.    Also - Sarah
A. Hewitt - Wife - aged: 30 - born: Manchester.  Plus 1 elder sister and 2
servants.

1901 Census - Thorneloe, Coolhurst Road, Hornsey, Midlesex.   Son - aged:
12 - born: Hornsey, Middlesex.   Head of household - Thomas Hewitt -
Married - aged: 47 - occ: Solicitor - born: Salford.    Also - Sarah A.
Hewitt - Wife - aged: 40 - born: Manchester.  Plus 1 elder sister and 2
servants.

1911 Census - 33 Coolhurst Road, Edmonton, Middlesex.   Son - Unmarried -
aged: 22 - occ: Solicitor - born: Hornsey, Middlesex.  Head of household -
Thomas Hewitt - Married - aged: 57 - occ: Solicitor - born: Salford.   
Also - Sarah Ann Hewitt - Wife - aged: 50 - born: Manchester.  Pluis 2
servants.

L.L.B. (London) - Solicitor of Supreme Court.

His parents retired to Grove St, Toowong, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
and named their house there "Rostherne".

He is commemorated on a stone plaque in St. Mary's P.C. Rostherne
immediately underneath another plaque dedicated to his great great
grandfather (also called Thomas Hewitt), a benefactor of that Church.   He
is not listed on St. Mary's Main War Memorial, as he was not a local man.


His MIC states that he was drafted to France on the 28th March 1915.  That
being the case, he would have joined the Battalion at Ploegsteert Wood. 
They were relieved on the 17th April and moved to the Steenwerck area,
occupying billets on the Le Veau-Steenwerck Road.   On the 24th April 1915,
they entrained for Poperinghe and from there marched to Busselboom.  Moved
to St. Jean, via Vlamertinghe on the 25th and later went forward to
Wieltje.   They arrived at positions on the Wieltje-Fortuin Road at 01.45
hrs on the 26th.   At dusk, they advanced and dug-in 600 yards south-east
of Forruin.   Under cover of heavy shell fire and gas, the Germans attacked
their positions, advancing from the ridge beyond the Haanebeke stream into
dead ground on the near side of the stream, where they dug-in some 300
yards away.   Withdrawal ordered during the night of the 3rd.  Casualties
between the 25th April and the 4th May were 16 officers and 392 other ranks
- one of whom was Thomas.

Awarded three war medals - the 1915 Star, the BWM & the VM.

Memorials found on:
St. Mary's (Rosthern)
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