Private 8763 Thomas Cummings

Killed in Action on Tuesday, 19th November 1914, age 25.
Commemorated on Panel 8 and 9 of Ploegsteert Memorial, Comines-Warneton, Hainaut, Belgium.

2nd Bn., Durham Light Infantry. 18th Brigade of 6th Division.

Husband of Mabel Fletcher (formerly Cummings), of 23, Queen St., Princes End, Tipton, Staffs.
Born: Birmingham, Enlisted: Birmingham, Resident: Aston.

First landed France & Flanders, 8th September 1914.
Medal entitlement: 1914 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal.
Soldier's Papers at National Archives survived and transcribed.

Commemorated on the St. John's Memorial.
Commemorated here because he appears on a Tipton memorial.

Link to Commonwealth War Graves Site: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1642224/

Genealogical Data

Birth of Thomas Cumming registered December quarter 1884 in Birmingham. Mother née Brown.

1901 Census
52 Bourne Road, Aston, Birmingham.
Thomas Cumming (49, Widower, Iron Moulder, born Edinburgh), and his 6 children: Jane (20, born Edinburgh), Robert (18, Driller, born Gloucester), Annie (18, Brush Maker, born Gloucester), Thomas (16, Iron Moulder, born Stroud - incorrect as born Birmingham), Agnes (15, Brush Maker, born wigan), and Lizzie (10, born Edinburgh).

Marriage of Thomas Cumming and Mabel Butler registered September 1908 in Aston.

1911 Census
15 Court 3 House, Back 187 Park Road, Aston, Birmingham.
Thomas Cummings (27, Iron Moulder, born Birmingham), his wife Mabel (22, born Birmingham), and thier son: Samuel Thomas (2, born Birmingham on 1 January 1909). A further child, James, was born on 31 May 1914.

Thomas's widow, Mabel Cumming, married Tipton man Thomas Henry Fletcher on 25 November 1917.

Personal Data

Although Thomas's military records show his surname as Cummings (with an 's'), his birth registration and census returns show his surname as Cumming.

Thomas Cummings is recorded on this site because he is commemorated on the St. John's Memorial, his name put forward by his widow Mabel. It seems that his only Tipton connection is that by 1919 his wife had re-married and moved to Tipton. Thomas was born in Birmingham and was living there in 1911, although may have been living in Falkirk in 1914.

Thomas Cummings enlisted in the Durham Light Infantry on 1st February 1904 in Birmingham, at that time he was 19 years and 3 months old and employed as a Moulder. He was 5 feet 7¾ inches tall with a 36-inch chest and weighed 138 pounds; he had brown eyes and dark brown hair with a fresh complexion.

After serving his 3 years as a regular soldier including time spent in India, Thomas was obliged to remain 9 years in the Reserves. He was therefore instantly recalled on 4th August 1914.

After Thomas's death, his outstanding army pay and allowances amounted to £3/8/2d (3 pounds, 8 shillings and 2 pence); this was paid to his widow, Mabel, in February 1915. His War Gratuity was £5/0/0d (5 pounds exactly), this was also paid to Mabel in July 1919. By this time, she had re-married and was Mrs Mabel Fletcher living in Tipton. The value of the War Gratuity suggests that Thomas had enlisted in approximately August 1914.

Mabel was granted a Widow’s Pension of £0/18/6d (18 shillings and 6 pence) per week for herself and her 2 children, effective from 7th June 1915. This was increased to £1/2/11d (1 pound, 2 shillings and 11 pence) per week, effective from 4th April 1917.

Mabel married Thomas Henry Fletcher (noted as a civilian) on 25th November 1917. Her Widow's Pension then ceased, but she was compensated by the payment of a lump sum 'Re-marriage Gratuity', of £35/9/1d (35 pounds, 9 shillings and 1 penny). The pension allowance for her 2 children would continue until their respective 16th birthdays.

In 1921, Mabel (now Mrs Fletcher) was living at 42 Lorne Street, Princes End, Tipton with her 2 sons and her husband, Thomas Fletcher, and a new child, one-year old Gladys Fletcher.

Action resulting in his death

Thomas arrived in France with his battalion in early September 1914; they had returned from Ireland and Thomas had been re-called as a Reservist to bolster their numbers. They fought at the Battle of the Aisne, before moving to Belgium where they were in action at Radinghem, about 5 miles south of Armentieres, during October 1914.

In November the weather conditions reduced active fighting, and trench warfare with artillery and sniping took over. On the 14th November, the 2nd Durham Light Infantry returned to front-line trenches at Rue Du Bois, Fleurbaix, about 5 miles south-west of Armentieres. On the 19th, it started to snow and began to freeze, the nearby River Lys froze over. On that day, the 19th November, 7 men of the 2nd Durham Light Infantry including Thomas Cummings were killed. None of them has a known grave and all are commemorated on the Ploegsteert Memorial.

War Diary of 2nd Durham Light Infantry, 14th November 1914
Marched out from RUE DELETTRE in the evening and took over trenches from the Kings Shropshire Light Infantry at RUE DE BOIS. Here we remained until the evening of 27th November. Our casualties during this period were 14 killed and 39 wounded and were chiefly caused by snipers.
The enemy’s trenches were very close to our trenches, in some places as little as 25 yards. Rifle grenades were used by both sides, and mining was resorted to. Rations were brought up by night by regimental transport as far as DESPLANQUES FARM, they were then transported to a railway truck and were run down the line to the reserve trenches.

Newspaper Cuttings

None.