WW1 Casualty: Captain Thomas Reginald Gleave - Captain Thomas Reginald Gleave
| Unit/Regiment |
1st/5th Bn., South Lancashire Regiment |
| Date of Death |
11/10/1916 |
Age at Death |
22 |
Burial/Memorial
& Reference |
Vlamertinghe Military Cemetery
IV G 10 |
| CWGC Family Details (if shown) |
Son of John and Margaret Jane Gleave, of Eccleston Park, Prescot, Lancs. |
| Census Details |
1901 Census -
The Gleave family were living at 19, Chester Road, Southport and comprised father John, a 40 year old builder, mother Margaret (38), and children John (11), Thomas (6) and George (4)
1911 Census -
The Gleave family lived at Eccleston Park. John, an Estate Agent, had been married to Margaret for 22 years and they had 5 children, all of whom lived with their parents. Thomas 16, worked as a Bank Clerk |
| Birth/Marriage/Death Registrations |
Birth Registered Q3/1894, Prescot, 8b, 721 |
| Notes |
Thomas Reginald Gleave attended Prescot Grammar School from 1908 to 1910. |
| Research Ref. No. |
P122 |
Service DetailsAs detailed in the extracts below, Thomas Gleave was commissioned in December 1914, became Captain in July 1915 and finally moved to France in a draft of reinforcements on 4th August 1916. At this time, the 5th Battalion was involved in the Guillemont actions of the Somme campaign, after which they moved to support trenches at Delville Wood.
At the beginning of October, the battalion was once more moved to the Ypres sector, to a line from Wieltje to Railway Wood. Unusually, this was a quiet sector at that time, with both armies exhausted after the long Somme campaign. The regimental history does not record much action over the remaining weeks of 1916 and indeed does not record any actions taking place around the time of Captain Gleave's death.
Records show that Captain Gleave was the only officer to die in the month of October 1916, and 6 other ranks also died within the month.
The Regimental Diary for the period is reproduced below.
1st October: Remained at PONT REMY
2nd October: Marched to ABBEVILLE, entrained 7.30 a.m. and detrained PROVEN 6.30 p.m. (Transport on train). Marched to J CAMP by International Corner, arriving at 10.30 p.m.
3rd October: Marched to POPERINGHE leaving camp 4.30 p.m. Entrained 6.30 p.m., detrained YPRES 7.00 p.m. Relieved INISKILLING FUSLILIERS, 20th DW in billets in YPRES
4th October: Relieved 1st KOSB in right sub sector, relief complete 8.30 p.m. Front line B & C Coys, support A Coy, Reserve D Coy.
5th October: Enemy machine guns active. Snipers firing into backs of C Coy, I OR killed, A Coy shelled in support line.
6th October: Enemy machine guns & snipers very active
7th October: Enemy snipers got under by our snipers & Lewis guns. Enemy machine guns still very active at night.
9th October: D Coy relieves B Coy & A Coy relieved C Coy on front line
10th October: 3 enemy snipers accounted for. Officer patrols out every night. I officer killed.
13th October: Relieved by Kings Own Royal Lancaster Regiment, relief complete 8.30 p.m. During our stay in trenches, much cleaning, draining and repairing of trenches was done. Marched back to billets YPRES.
Captain Gleave's Medal Index Card listing his arrival in France on 4th August 1916.
The Parish Magazine of 27th October 1916 stated 'Since the October magazine was published in which the names of 47 of our heroic dead were recorded, 7 more have fallen in the long battle of the Somme. The list then followed, including 'Captain T. Reginald Gleave, 22, of Eccleston Park, 5th S. Lancs. 10th October 1916, France'
The announcement of Capt. Gleave's death in the London Times of 16th November 1917
The Prescot Reporter announcement of Capt Gleave's death
Liverpool Echo announcement on Capt Gleave's death
Captain Gleave's grave at Vlamertinghe
Thomas's service is commemorated on the Grammar School Roll of Honour
In addition, his entry on the St Helens Rolls of Honour contains further details of his association with Southport
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