Private 15068 Thomas Scriven


 Scriven Thomas 96 423x600


Died of Wounds on Monday, 16th October 1916, age 31.
Buried in Grave VIII. A. 13. at Etaples Military Cemetery, Pas De Calais, France.

7th Bn., Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry. 61st Brigade of 20th Division.

Born: Tipton, Enlisted: Birmingham, Resident: Smethwick.

First landed France & Flanders, 23rd July 1915.
Medal entitlement: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal.
Soldier's Papers at National Archives did not survive.

Not commemorated on any Tipton 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/505564/


Genealogical Data

Birth of Thomas Scriven registered September quarter 1885 in Dudley.

1901 Census.
7 Whitehall Road, Smethwick, Staffs.
Joshua Scriven (48, Iron Heater, born Tipton), his wife Sarah (43, born Tipton), and their 8 children: Alice (19, born Tipton), Ruth (17, born Tipton), Thomas (15, Wheel Maker, born Tipton), Elizah (13, Wheel Maker, born Tipton), Joshua (11, born Tipton), Frank (7, born Smethwick), May (6, born Smethwick), and Arthur (4, born Smethwick).

1911 Census.
7 Whitehall Road, Smethwick, Staffs.
Joshua Scriven (57, Mill Furnaceman, born Tipton), his wife Sarah (53, House Duties, born Tipton), and 7 of their 10 surviving children of 13: Ruth (27, Gilding, born Tipton), Thomas (26,Iron Heater, born Tipton), Elizah (24, Turner, born Tipton), Joshua (21, Iron Heater, born Tipton), Frank (17,Sawyer, born Smethwick), May (16, Assisting Machinist, born Smethwick), and Arthur (14, Just left School, born Smethwick).


Personal Data

None Available.


Action resulting in his death

Thomas died of wounds in No. 11 General Hospital at Etaples on 16th October 1917, and is buried in Etaples Military Cemetery. The last action his Division had been involved in before this date was the Battle of Polygon Wood, 26th September to 3rd October 1917, it is possible that this was when he was wounded. However the area had been subject to near continuous German artillery fire for the preceding 5 days as a German response to the Battle of Menin Road, so that is also a possibility.

Both the Battles of Menin Road and Polygon Wood were part of the Third Battle of Ypres, and both were carried out under Plumer's 'bite and hold' method of small incremental gains. Both were successful in gaining their objectives, in no small measure due to accurate artillery bombardments before the attack. Shortly after this, the Flanders weather worsened, and progress slowed.


Newspaper Cuttings

None.