Thomas William Chenery

A Sergeant with the 1/4th Battalion, Thomas died on 30 August 1916, at the age of 33.Thomas was born at Lowestoft in 1883, a son of William and Ann Chenery.
The 1891 Census shows him with his grandparents, Henry and Elizabeth Upson, at 251 Raglan Street, Lowestoft. In 1901 he was working as an oil carter and lodging with his uncle and aunt, William and Alice Upson, at 7 Clemence Street.
In 1905 Thomas began working for the Great Eastern Railway at Lowestoft. He was a blacksmith’s striker and later became a bargeman. Thomas played football for the G.E.R. Reserves. 
Thomas was living at 71 Arnold Street when he married Edith Ann Woolley at Saint Margaret’s Church on 24 December 1907. In 1911 they, and their children, were living at 18 Seago Street, Lowestoft, and Thomas worked as a blacksmith’s striker with a railway company. Thomas’ parents lived at 10 Compass Street, Lowestoft. 
Thomas has joined the 1/4th Battalion Suffolk Regiment in early 1909. Thomas did not go overseas until 1916. 
On 25 August 1916 the 1/4th Battalion moved into trenches east of Bazentin-le-Grand, Somme, France. On 30 August 1916 the Germans launched a string attack against the battalion’s position and, according to the war diary, heavy shelling caused ‘a good many casualties’. Thomas was among those killed on that day.
In 1918 Edith remarried and eventually moved to Birkenhead. 

Thomas' cousin, Charles Upson, died in 1916 whilst serving with the 2nd Battalion Norfolk Regiment.