BACON, Thomas Henry [of Collingham]

Thomas Henry Bacon's Attestation paper

Military Medal

As awarded to Thomas Bacon on 19 July 1917

War Memorial in All Saints', Collingham

Including John William and Thomas Henry Bacon

Thomas Bacon was born in Newark on 1st March 1892. In the 1911 Census, aged 19, he was living with his widowed mother Mary Ann, three brothers and two sisters, in a four-roomed house in Low Street, North Collingham. He and his 16-year old brother John William both worked at a Bakers & Confectioners, though the other four children were all still at school.

In Leeds on September 9th 1914 Thomas volunteered to join the army, though by then his 'Trade or Calling' was described as 'Porter', so he may have moved on from the Baker's. According to his Attestation papers he was only 5 feet 3 and a half inches tall, weighed 8 and a half Stone and had a tattoo on his left forearm. He was passed 'A 1' fit and joined the 2nd Battalion of the Lincolnshire Regiment.

After 7 months training in England, Bacon went to France on 24th April 1915. The Battalion remained in action in France and Belgium throughout the War and on the 19th July 1917 Thomas Bacon, by now promoted to Corporal, was awarded the Military Medal, third highest gallantry award (below the Victoria Cross and the Distinguished Conduct Medal) open to NCOs and other ranks. This was probably during the Third Battle of Ypres (Belgium) in which his unit was fighting at the time. Unfortunately, however, he was posted 'Missing' on 4th August and 'accepted for official purposes as having died on or since 31.7.17'. His brother John was also killed in the War and both of their names appear on the All Saints' Church, Collingham memorial.