Thomas George Sturgess

In memoriam

8097 Private Thomas George Sturgess, was Killed in Action on the 25th.September 1916, Aged 37, while serving with the 7th.Battalion, The Royal Berkshire Regiment. Son of Mrs Louisa Sturgess of 49 Morse Street, Swindon, Wiltshire. The 1881 Census shows, Thomas (Aged 2, birth date given as 1879) was living at The Union Workhouse, Hungerford with his mother Louisa (Aged 32) and sister Elizabeth (Aged 5). By 1911, Thomas had enlisted in the regular army and was serving with 2nd.Btn.,The Royal Berkshire Regiment and stationed at Meerut in India. (Aged 27, birth date given as 1884) On the 12-12-1911, Thomas Awarded the 'Delhi Durbar 1911' medal from the Adjutant General in India. Award was from the Army allotment. At some point he transferred to the 1st.Btn., stationed at Aldershot, England and went with the battalion to France with the British Expeditonary Force (BEF) in August 1914. Thomas would have been involved in the Battle and Retreat from Mons through Landrecies & Villers Cotterets(23/8-1/9 1914), The Battle of The Marne (1/9), the Battles of the Aisne (13/9-20/9), the Battles of Ypres(19/10-29/10). He was listed as "Wounded" on the Casualty List issued by the War Office of the 7th November 1914. After recuperation from his wounds, Thomas transferred to the 7th.Btn., in France where the battalion embarked on the H.M.T. "ARCADIAN." and sailed from Marseilles on the 13-11-1915. Reached SALONIKA. Disembarked and proceeded by route march to 26th Division Camp. Strength on disembarking twenty-five officers, nine hundred and three other ranks. The 7th.Battalion War Diary entry of the 25th.September, reported at C4-Ravin de Senelle Sector, Enemy shelled right sector - C Coy -0800hrs casualties 1 killed (probably Thomas), 2 slightly wounded. Thomas is considered 'An Old Contemptible and was awarded the 1914 Star & Bar Trio. 1914 Star was authorised in April, 1917, to be awarded to those who served in France or Belgium on the strength of a unit, or service in either of those countries between 5th August and midnight on 22nd/23rd November 1914. The former date is the day after Britain's declaration of war against the Central Powers, and the closing date marks the end of the First Battle of Ypres. Recipients were officers and men of the pre-war British Army, specifically the British Expeditionary Force (B.E.F or the Old Contemptibles), who landed in France soon after the outbreak of the War and who took part in the Retreat from Mons (hence the nickname 'Mons Star'). 365,622 were awarded in total. Recipients of this medal also received the British War Medal and Victory Medal. These three medals were sometimes irreverently referred to as Pip, Squeak and Wilfred. In October, 1919, the King graciously pleased to approved and sanctioned the award of the bar to this star to all those who had been 'under fire' in France or Belgium during, or between the above dates.

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