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

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).

Personal Data

Thomas Cummings is recorded on this site because he is commemorated on the St. John's Memorial, put there by his wife 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.

By 1919 his widow Mabel had re-married and, with Thomas's 2 children Samuel and James, was living at 42 Lorne Street, Princes End, Tipton.

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 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.

Newspaper Cuttings

None.