Thomas Appleby

Forename(s):
Thomas

Surname:
Appleby

Initial(s):
T

Service Number:
147898

Rank:
Gunner

Regiment:
Royal Field Artillery, 60th Division Ammunition Column

Died:
22/04/1918

Aged:
40

Buried:
Alexandria (Hadra) War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt

Service History:
Soldiers DiedÂ…' has Appleby enlisting at Wolverhampton, Staffordshire (now, West Midlands).

Virtually nothing can be traced to reveal Appleby's service record. The writers & researchers of 'The Fallen of Embleton...' speculate that, because of his age, he was probably not called up until mid-1916. It's possible he may have served in the Salonika theatre of operations, in Greece, before 60th Division moved to Egypt for operations in Palestine.

Appleby died at 21st General Hospital, Alexandria, Egypt, due to sickness, possibly malaria.
(Source: 'The Fallen of Embleton 1914-1919'; Written & researched by Terry Howells, Mary Kibble, & Monica Cornall; pp. 55-57)

Background:
There is some confusion about the origin of Thomas Appleby regimental service #147898. 'Soldiers Died...' records his birthplace (& also where he enlisted) as Wolverhampton, Staffordshire while 'The Fallen of Embleton 1914-1919' gives it as Embleton, Northumberland.

Given the writers & researchers of 'The Fallen of Embleton...' will have had more time to check things out, it may be best to simply accept their early history of Appleby. This being so, he was born in 1878, the eldest child of Thomas Appleby (b. 1847, at Embleton; a Stone Merchant & proprietor of the 'Hare & Hounds', now the Dunstanburgh Castle Hotel), by his wife Margaret Appleby (née Reekie; b. 1846, at Falkirk, Scotland).

The couple were married at Edinburgh in 1876 & had four children. They also had Alexander (b. 1881); Margaret (b. 1883); & Frances (b. 1886). All the children were born at Embleton. Alexander died about 1893 & Thomas Snr. died in the following year - both are buried in Spitalford Cemetery.

At some time after her husband's death Margaret Appleby returned to Scotland to run a Boarding House, taking her daughters with her. In 1901, with his mother & sisters in Scotland, Thomas Jnr. was boarding in Hotspur Place, Alnwick & working as a Blacksmith.

Shortly before the 1911 Census, Appleby followed his sister Frances & her family to the Midlands & appears to have worked as a Kinematograph Bill Inspector in their business.

Early in 1914 he married Sophie Agnes Taylor in Wolverhampton & over the next four years they had 3 children - Iris (b. 1914); Thomas (b. 1916); & Vera (b. about 1918).

Husband of Sophie Agnes Lampitt (formerly Appleby), of 16, Cassau Road, Newport, Monmouthshire.

Interestingly, Appleby prepared a Field Will in October 1917, which left the whole of his Army Effects to his wife, Agnes Appleby, who lived at 109, Alma Street, Heath Town, Wolverhampton, however Probate was granted on 29 July 1918 to Audrey Appleby, spinster, in the sum of £370-8s-10d. Presumably Audrey Appleby must have been an Aunt.
(Source: 'The Fallen of Embleton 1914-1919'; Written & researched by Terry Howells, Mary Kibble, & Monica Cornall; pp. 55-57)

Local Memorial:
Embleton, Family headstone in Spitalford Cemetery (Source: newmp.org.uk)