Private 3544 Thomas Lowe

Killed in Action on Wednesday, 13th October 1915, age 28.
Commemorated on Panel 73 to 76 of Loos Memorial, Pas De Calais, France.

1st/6th Bn., South Staffordshire Regiment. 137th Brigade of 46th Division.

Son of the late Alfred and Phoebe Lowe; husband of Lily Maud Baker (formerly Lowe), of 44, Foundry St., Coseley, Bilston, Staffs.
Born: Bilston, Enlisted: Wolverhampton, Resident: Tipton.

First landed France & Flanders, 5th March 1915.
Medal entitlement: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal.
Soldier's Papers at National Archives did not survive.

Commemorated on the Christ Church, Coseley Memorial.
Commemorated here because identified as Tipton on 'Soldiers Died in the Great War'.

Link to Commonwealth War Graves Site: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/734480/

Genealogical Data

1901 Census
4 Webb Street, Sedgley, Staffs.
Eliza Trawford (75, Widow, Head, born Sedgley), her son-in-law Alfred Lowe (49, Shingler, born Sedgley), his wife Phoebe (48, born Sedgley), and their son Thomas (13, Holloware Moulder, born Sedgley).

Marriage of Thomas Lowe and Lily Maud Fellows registered December quarter 1909 in Pontypool. Monmouthshire.

1911 Census
1 Haveacre Lane, Deepfields, Coseley, Staffs.
Alfred Lowe (59, Widower, Cinder Breaker, born Coseley), his son Thomas (23, Colliery Labourer, born Coseley) and Thomas's wife Lily (21, born Coseley).

Thomas and Lily had 2 daughters: Phoebe Anne Hariet, born 2 August 1911, and Nellie, born 3 August 1913. Both births were registered in Dudley,

Personal Data

"Soldiers Died in the Great War" shows that Thomas was resident in Tipton at the time of his enlistment. No records exist to show this was the case, the 1911 Census and his widow's details after his death all suggest Coseley.

After Thomas's death, his army pay and allowances had been overpaid to the value of £0/4/4d (4 shillings and 4 pence). There is no record that repayment was ever requested or made. His War Gratuity was £3/0/0d (3 pounds exactly), this was paid to his widow, Lucy Maud, in October 1919; by then she had re-married and was Mrs Lucy Maud Baker. The value of the War Gratuity suggests that Thomas had enlisted within the 12 months prior to his death.

Thomas's widow, Lily Maud, was awarded a Widow's Pension of £0/18/6d (18 shillings and 6 pence) per week from 19th June 1916 for herself and her 2 daughters. Lily married Joseph Baker (a civilian) on 12th August 1916. Her Widow's Pension would have ceased at that time, and she was compensated by a one-off Re-Marriage Gratuity of £51/4/3d (51 pounds, 4 shillings and 3 pence). The pension in respect of her 2 children continued until their 16th birthdays. Her address at this time was given as 50 Foundry Street, Coseley, near Bilston.

Action resulting in his death

The 1/6th South Staffs arrived in France between the 3rd and 5th March 1915. They moved to Armentieres on 20th March and then to Fletre for further training. In April the battalion marched to Wulveringhem in Belgium alternating between trench duties and further training. In June 1915 they moved nearer to Ypres, and for the next 2 months spent time at the feared Hill 60.

On 2nd October the 1/6th moved back into France to take part in the second stage of the Loos Offensive. Further training preceded the march to the assembly trenches near Vermelles on 12th October.

At noon on 13th October, a fine sunny day, the attack commenced. The 1/5th and 1/6th South Staffs were to attack the West Face of the heavily defended Hohenzollern Redoubt, from the trench known as Big Willie which was already partly held by the 1/5th South Staffs. The South Staffs battalions were to attack in 4 waves; 'B' and 'C' companies of the 1/5th, followed by 'A' and 'D' companies of the 1/5th, followed by 'A' and 'C' companies of the 1/6th, and finally 'B' and 'D' companies of the 1/6th.

The first wave hardly got out of their trench due to devastating machine gun fire decimating their number. The second wave made their advance unaware of the disaster in front of them and suffered similarly high casualties. The third wave followed on as ordered, as they too were unaware of the situation in front due to lack of communication and the smoke intended to mask the South Staffs advance. The fourth wave also took losses, but at this point the attack was called off.

The 1/5th South Staffs, who provided the first and second waves, had over 100 men killed on the day or died from wounds in the next week. The 1/6th South Staffs, who provided the third and fourth waves, lost over 125 men. The attack was a costly failure and this in effect was the culmination of the Battle of Loos. This was the single most expensive day for the 46th (North Midlands) Division, even though it was involved in July 1st 1916 at Gommecourt. The Division had casualties of 180 Officers and 3583 Other Ranks. As Edmonds wrote in the Official History ".. it was a long time before the Division recovered from the effects of 13th October."

Thomas Lowe, like the majority of the men killed here, has no known grave and is commemorated on the Loos Memorial at Dud Corner, in sight of the Hohenzollern Redoubt.

Newspaper Cuttings

None.