| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
Thomas Gillyon was born in Beverley in 1897, the son of Frederick Dalton Gillyon and Sarah Jane Gillyon (nee Clark), both from Beverley. His father was a tanner's labourer who had been brought up in Hind's Yard, Keldgate and then Butt Lane. In 1901 the family lived at 25 Minstermoorgate, Beverley, and later at number 39. Thomas had six sisters and three brothers. Thomas was employed at the age of 13 as a butcher's errand boy. He was unmarried at the time of his death.
Thomas enlisted in Bridlington possibly underage. He served in the 5th Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment (The Green Howards), part of 150th Brigade and 50th division and was already on the Western Front in 1915 and was awarded the 1914-15 Star. He was promoted Lance-Corporal, no: 1978.
In March 1916 his regiment was in Belgium, on the SE edge of the Ypres Salient. It was there on 2 March 1916 that Thomas was killed at the age of 18. The Beverley Guardian of 11 March reported his death and noted that, "he was shot through the head and died instantly." It went on to say that Thomas had been back at home in Beverley on leave two weeks prior to his death. He is buried at Maple Copse Cemetery, Zillebecke, and Ypres, Belgium.
Thomas is remembered on the Beverley War Memorial in Hengate, on the East Riding Memorial in Beverley Minster and in the Wesleyan Chapel, Toll Gavel, on the Wesleyan Circuit (Beverley) Roll of Honour. He was awarded the War Medal and Victory Medal posthumously
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |