Private 54609 Thomas Box

Killed in Action on Saturday, 13th April 1918, age 37.
Commemorated on Panel 11 of Ploegsteert Memorial, Comines-Warneton, Hainaut, Belgium.

Machine Gun Corps, 29th Battalion. 29th Division.

Son of Mr W. and Mrs P. A. Box, of 40, Bloomfield Rd., Tipton, Staffs.
Born: Tipton, Enlisted: Shrewsbury, Resident: Ledbury, Hereford..

First landed France & Flanders, post 31st December 1915.
Medal entitlement: British War Medal, Victory Medal.
Soldier's Papers at National Archives did not survive.

Not commemorated on any Tipton memorial.
Commemorated here because identified as Tipton on 'Soldiers Died in the Great War'.

Link to Commonwealth War Graves Site: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/874806/

Genealogical Data

Birth of Thomas Box registered December quarter 1880 at Dudley.

1901 Census
62 Owen Street, Tipton, Staffs.
Alfred Turner (40, Hairdresser, born Tipton) with his wife and son, but also Thomas Box (20, Hairdresser's Apprentice, born Tipton).

1911 Census
40 Bloomfield Road, Tipton, Staffs.
William Box (59, Labourer, born Tipton), his wife Phoebe Ann (56, born Tipton), and their 5 surviving children of 6: John (33, Dresser in Iron Foundry, born Tipton), Thomas (30, Hairdresser's Assistant, born Tipton), William (27, Labourer, born Tipton), James (24, Carpenter's Labourer, born Tipton), and Nellie (18, At home, born Tipton).

Personal Data

The CWGC records that Pte Box was in the 29th Company, Machine Gun Corps, this Company was in the 10th (Irish) Division which were in Egypt in 1918 whilst Pte Box was killed in Belgium. In February 1918, the 29th Machine Gun Battalion was formed from 29th Division's three Machine Gun Companies; it is likely that this was Thomas's correct unit. This is now confirmed, as the 'Soldiers Effects' papers (released on Ancestry in 2015) shows William as 29th Battalion, MGC. This has been reported to the CWGC (in September 2024).

The CWGC also shows Thomas as 39 years old; as he was born in December quarter 1880 he was actually 37 years old.

The 'Soldiers Effects' papers shows that Thomas’s outstanding army pay and allowances of £1/1/10d (1 pound, 1 shilling and 10 pence) was paid to this father, William, in March 1919. His War Gratuity of £9/8/2d (9 pounds, 8 shillings and 2 pence) was also paid to his father in January 1920. This suggests that Thomas enlisted in approximately March 1916.

A Dependant's Pension appears to have been paid to Thomas's mother, Mrs Phoebe Ann Box, as the relevant Pension Cards exist. However the Pension Cards do not state a value for the pension - often this was 5/0d (5 shillings) per week. It appears that the pension was still being paid in 1933 when Phoebe died, as the Dependant's Pension appears to have passed to Thomas's father, William.

Action resulting in his death

On 9th/10th April 1918, 29th Division moved from billets near Poperinge in Belgium, some 14 miles south to Neuf Berquin in France. This was to support the 50th Division who were being hard pressed by the German advance towards Estaires. This was during the Battle of Estaires (9th to 11th April), just one element of the Battle of the Lys (7th to 29th April, 1918), which itself was one element of the German Spring Offensive, beginning 21st March 1918. The Battle of Estaires would develop (after retreats) into the Battles of Hazebrouck (12th to 15th April) and Bailleul (13th to 15th April).

On 11th April, the 29th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps (29MGC) were located near Neuf Berquin, about 2.5 miles north-west of Estaires. By midday, the Germans had taken Estaires and were advancing towards Neuf Berquin. Fire from 29MGC covered the British retreat, and the line at the end of the day was in the vicinity of Neuf Berquin.

Early in the morning of the 12th, 29MGC were ordered to retire about a mile, but by mid-morning the Germans had covered that ground and further retreat was necessary, During the afternoon both Outtersteene and Merris were captured.

Thomas Box is recorded as killed on 13th April, the 29MGC War Diary for that day says:
“Early in the morning, the 2 guns under Sgt H. Orvis inflicted very heavy casualties on the enemy who were massing behind a wood in F7C (Editor: probably Celery Wood, between Vieux Berquin and Outtersteene). Two guns on the railway in F7 (Editor – near Sgt. Orvis) also broke up an enemy attack developing south of Merris.
About midday, the enemy captured Vieux Berquin completely.”

From their arrival on 10th April, in the subsequent 4 days up to Thomas Box’s death on the 13th April, 29MGC had 50 men killed (17 on 10th, 11 on 11th, 15 on 12th and 7 on the 13th). More than half of the men have no known grave and are commemorated on the Ploegsteert Memorial; amongst these is Thomas Box.

Newspaper Cuttings

None.