Albert Johnson was born on the 1st December 1895. He joined the Royal Marine Artillery (RMA), enlisting for continuous service, on the 17th September 1913. So by the start of the Great War he had a year's military experience. In 1918 Albert Johnson's home address was 9, Church Street, Thurmaston, which was also the home of Harvey Johnson (qv). At the war's end Gunner, 13683, A. Johnson, was serving aboard HMS Vincent.

 

George Arthur Johnson lived at 45, Humberstone Lane, Thurmaston. He served in the army as Gunner, 162164, G. A. Johnson, Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA). In 1918 his service was with the 179th Siege Battery, 81st Brigade, RGA.

George Johnson served overseas and for that duty he was awarded the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal. He was discharged from the army on account of ill health, in consquence of this he received a Silver War Badge.

 

 

23099, George Edward Johnson, 1st Battalion Leicestershire Regiment, was killed in action on the 27th September 1916, in France and Flanders. He was born at Thurmaston and enlisted at Leicester. He was posthumously awarded the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal for his war service.

 

 

In 1918 Private, 144698, Harvey Johnson was serving with the Machine Gun Corps. He had also seen service as Private, 5440, H. Johnson, North Staffordshire Regiment.

Harvey Johnson's home address was 9, Church Street, Thurmaston, which was also the home of Albert Johnson (qv). He was awarded the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal for his war service.

 

 

Tom Johnson of Thurmaston, a serving soldier, son of Edward Johnson, a farm labourer, was married to Edith Merrill at Thurmaston on the 19th October 1918.

 

 

Private, 7534, Wilfred Johnson lived at 338, Main Street, Thurmaston. He first served in France on the 9th September 1914, with the 1st Battalion Leicestershire Regiment, and was still serving with the battalion in 1918.

For his overseas service he was awarded the 1914 Star, the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal.

 

 

On the 8th October 1915, Private, 71205, Thomas Henry Jones, Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) sailed aboard the Hospital Ship Aquitania. The ship, the property of the Cunard line, was converted for military use to take soldiers to the Gallipoli Peninsula.

Later in the war Jones served with the Leicestershire Regiment as Private, 20554, Jones. However, on the 20th September 1918, whilst on home service, he died of pneumonia in the 5th Northern General Hospital, Leicester. At the time the 26 year old was serving as Pioneer, 367250, Jones, Royal Engineers. He was born at Thurmaston and enlisted at Leicester. He was a resident of Thurmaston. His parents were George William and Ellen Elizabeth Jones, who lived at 169, Main Street, Thurmaston. He was buried in Thurmaston Cemetery (Grave C. 799) on the 24th September 1918. He is commemorated on the War Memorial at Thurmaston. His name is also carved on a stone tablet within Thurmaston Memorial Hall (erected 1929).

For his service in the Great War he received the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal.

 

 

Alfred Louis Keeling first served overseas with the West Yorkshire Regiment as Private, 29808, A. L. Keeling. However, by 1918, he transferred to the Labour Corps, serving as Private, 10487, A. L. Keeling.

His home address was 95, Humberstone Lane, Thurmaston. He was awarded the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal for his overseas service.

 

 

Private Dan Keeling served in the 1/4th Leicestershire Regiment from 1914. Later he served overseas with the 2nd Battalion of the Leicestershire Regiment as Private, 22400, Private D. Keeling. He lived at 253, Main Street, Thurmaston. He was awarded the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal for his overseas service.

Dan Keeling's son, Dennis, served in the Royal Navy during the 1939-1945 War.

 

 

Sapper, 146862, Leonard Thomas Keeling, Royal Engineers, died on home service on the 4th May 1916, whilst under treatment in the Fort Pitt Hospital, Rochester, Kent. He was 29 years' old. He was enlisted at Leicester and was a resident of Thurmaston. His parents were Dan and Eliza Keeling. He was buried in Thurmaston Cemetery (Grave B. 687) on the 8th May 1916. His name appears on the War Memorial at Thurmaston. His name is also commemorated on a stone tablet within Thurmaston Memorial Hall (erected 1929), on which his date of death is inaccurately recorded as 16th May 1916.

 

 

Sapper, 278390, Wilfred Norman Keeling served with the Royal Engineers (RE) during the Great War.

In 1918 he was resident at 320, Main Street, Thurmaston.

 

 

Sergeant, 200725, Clifford Henry Knox, 6th Battalion Leicestershire Regiment, was killed in action on the 21st August 1918, in France and Flanders. He was enlisted at Leicester and he lived at the Rookery, Thurmaston. He is commemorated on the Vis-en-Artois Memorial (Panel 5), France, and on the War Memorial at Thurmaston. He was posthumously awarded the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal for his war service.

 

 

Eric Aubrey Lane was born on the 9th March 1884. On the 22nd February 1918 he was enlisted into the Royal Marine Artillery (RMA), on short service. In 1918 Private, 2897, Eric Aubrey Lane, was serving with the RMA at Eastney Barracks, Portsmouth.

His home was at the The Homestead, Main Street, Thurmaston.

 

 

Private, 40539, Alfred Larratt, 2nd Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment, was killed in action on the 27th February 1917, in France and Flanders. He was born at Thurmaston and enlisted at Leicester. He had formerly served with the Leicestershire Regiment, as Private 23138. He is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the missing of the Somme (Pier and Face 1C), France. He was posthumously awarded the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal for his war service.

 

 

Archibald Henry Lewin was born at Thurmaston in about 1895. He was the son of Henry and Emma Lewin of Red Hill Lane, Thurmaston. He joined the Leicestershire Regiment as Private, 11638, Lewin on the 2nd September 1914. The 19 year old carpenter was discharged from the 8th Service Battalion of the regiment 163 days later, having been declared medically unfit. He was the elder brother of Maurice Wilfred Lewin (qv). He served only within the United Kingdom. He received the Silver War Badge for his service.

 

 

Private, 8110, George Lewin, 2nd Battalion Leicestershire Regiment arrived in France on the 12th October 1914, and thereafter served under fire against the Germans.

In 1918 he gave his home address as Lodge Farm, near Barrow's Brickyard, Thurmaston; and at that time he was still serving with the 2nd Leicesters. For his overseas service he was awarded the 1914 Star and bar, the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal.

 

 

Maurice Wilfred Lewin was born at Thurmaston in about 1900. He was the son of Henry and Emma Lewin, and younger brother of Archibald Henry Lewin (qv). Private, 15805, Maurice Wilfred Lewin, served with 'B' Company of the 3rd Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment, at the war's end. By the Autumn of 1919 he had transferred to the army reserve.

His family home was at 4, Red Hill Lane, Thurmaston.

 

 

Joseph Thomas Lock was born at Thurmaston on the 17th February 1890 to George and Eliza (née Hartshorn) Lock. In 1903 the Lock family emigrated from Leicestershire to Montreal, Quebec, Canada..

As a young man Joseph Lock served as a member of the Canadian Militia, in Montreal. With over six years' Militia service to his credit, on the 5th December 1914 he joined the 24th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF). He arrived in England during May 1915, and landed in France during August 1915. Joseph Lock experienced the the horrors of the Western Front until April 1916, when he was returned to England due to serious illness. After recuperating in England, he served out the remainder of the war as an army instructor.

The photograph at left was taken circa 1910, and shows Joseph Thomas Lock (surname sometimes spelt Locke) in the uniform of the Canadian Militia.

 

 

Edward Parker Lucas of 106, Humberstone Lane, Thurmaston, served in the army as an artilleryman. As Gunner, 72814, E. P. Lucas, he served with the 94th Company of the Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA).

For his service overseas he was awarded the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal.

 

 

In 1918 Jabez Marshall's home address was 1, Alexandra Street, Thurmaston. Private, 152730, J. Marshall, of the Labour Corps, had also served with the Cheshire Regiment and the Royal Sussex Regiment. Prior to the war he worker as a builder and bricklayer.

 

 

Private, 17624, Joseph Martin, M.M., 1st Battalion Leicestershire Regiment, died on home service on the 3rd November 1918, aged 29 years. His award of the Military Medal (M.M.) had been officially recorded in the Supplement to the London Gazette on the 19th March 1918 (page 3466). Private Martin was the son of William and Harriet Martin of Thurmaston. He is buried in Thurmaston Cemetery (Grave D. 1410) and his grave is marked by a Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstone. He is also comemmorated on the War Memorial at Thurmaston. Besides being awarded the Military Medal, he was posthumously awarded the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal for his war service.

 

 

Private, 21932, Ernest Mason, served with the 9th Battalion Leicestershire Regiment. In 1918 Harry Mason's home was at 18, Wheatley's Road, Thurmaston, also the home address of Privates Harry Bernard & John William Mason (qv).

Ernest Mason was awarded the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal for his war service.

 

 

Private, M/318814, Harry Bernard Mason, served with the Army Service Corps (ASC). In 1918 Harry Mason's home was at 18, Wheatley's Road, Thurmaston, at which time he was serving with the 6th Auxilliary Petrol Company of the ASC. Other family members, Ernest & John William Mason (qv), also of the same address, served in the forces.

Harry Mason was awarded the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal for his war service.

 

John William Mason lived at 18, Wheatley's Road, Thurmaston, which was also the home of Harry Bernard Mason and Ernest Mason (qv).

In 1918 Private, 121149, John William Mason, served with 46 Squadron of the newly formed Royal Air Force (RAF). From November 1917 the former Royal Flying Corps (RFC) Squadron operated Sopwith Camel fighter aircraft, and during 1918 it was based in several locations in France, as follows.

During May at Liettres, June at Serny, August at Poulainville, September at Cappy, October at Athies, then Busigny, and towards the war's end at Baizieux.

 

Leonard Mason lived at 3, Church Street, Thurmaston. In 1918 he was serving as Private, 39480, L. Mason, 2nd Battalion Leicestershire Regiment. Later he transferred to the 19th (County of London) Battalion (St. Pancras) of the London Regiment, in which he served as Private, 617385, L. Mason.

He was awarded the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal for his war service.

 

Sapper, WR/207788, Alfred Merrill, Royal Engineers, served overseas during the Great War. In 1918 Alfred's home address was at 75, Main Street, Thurmaston.

He was awarded the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal for his war service.

 

Daniel George Mitchell lived at 34, Wheatley's Road, Thurmaston. On the 16th February 1915, he arrived in France with his unit, the Leicestershire Yeomanry (Prince Albert's Own), elements of which had first gone to serve with the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) on the 3rd November 1914. Private, 2224, Mitchell, was later transferred to the Corps of Hussars, when squadrons of the Leicestershire Yeomanry were used to make up the 3rd Cavalry Brigade.

On the 2nd May 1919, the then Private, 255276, Daniel George Mitchell, was demobilzed from the army. He was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal for his service with the BEF.

 

 

In 1918 Wilfred Arthur Mitchell lived at 223, Main Street, Thurmaston. He served as Private, 58093, W. A. Mitchell, with the 3rd Battalion The Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment).

 

Harry Bernard Moore was born Thurmaston in about 1900, the son of Thomas Moore, a basket maker, and his wife Elizabeth. At the war's end Private, 63786, Harry Bernard Moore, served with 'A' Company of the 1st Battalion Leicestershire Regiment. By the Autumn of 1919 he had transferred to the army reserve.

His home address was 76, Main Street, Thurmaston, which was also home to his elder brother Thomas Franklin Moore (qv).

 

 

Thomas Franklin Moore was born at Thurmaston on the 3rd February 1898, the son of basket maker Thomas Moore, and his wife Elizabeth. In 1918 Able Seaman, BZ5582, Thomas Franklin Moore, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR), was serving aboard HMS Gloucestershire.

His home address was 76, Main Street, Thurmaston, which was also home to his younger brother Harry Bernard Moore (qv).

 

 

Horace Mould lived at the Black Horse Inn, 244, Main Street, Thurmaston.

He first served in France on the 27th May 1915, as Private, 2531, H. Mould, Leicestershire Yeomanry (Prince Albert's Own). He joined the regiment after it had suffered heavy casualties at Frezenberg. In 1918, when the Leicestershire Yeomanry was absorbed into the 3rd Cavalry Brigade, he became part of the Corps of Hussars. Horace Mould was eventually discharged from the army on the 15th April 1919 on account of ill health.

Private Mould was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, the Allied Victory Medal and the Silver War Badge.

 

 

On the 14th May 1915 Samuel Mulgrove, a married man of Main Street, Thurmaston, was attested and appointed to the army. The 26 year old, a motor driver by trade, was, appropriately, appointed to a Motor Transport company of the Army Service Corps (ASC).

In 1918 Samuel Mulgrove, whose family home was at 279, Main Street, Thurmaston, was serving as Private, 114389, S. Mulgrove, and was still with a Motor Transport Company of the ASC.

 

 

In 1918 Private, 6862, William Muns, served with the 168th Protection Company of The Royal Defence Corps. His home address was 31, Garden Street, Thurmaston.