Thomas WILCOCK (1)

27 August 1915

ANOTHER BENTHAM SOLDIER WOUNDED

News reached Bentham on Friday last that Private Thomas Wilcock, of the 8th Battalion West Riding Regiment, was wounded in action at a place and date not stated. His wife received the intelligence from the Infantry Record Office at York, with an expression of sympathy from the Army Council. She is awaiting anxiously further news. Mr. Wilcock is one of the best known young men of Bentham. Before joining the Army, he was a journeyman joiner and wheelwright at Messrs. Cumberland and Holmes. He is attached to the Maxim gun section of his battalion at the Dardanelles.

03 September 1915

BENTHAM MAN WOUNDED

A letter has been received from Private T Wilcock, of the Duke of Wellington’s, dated the 16th August, from the hospital at Port Said, is which he says:– “Just a line to let you know that I am still alive, and kicking. In my last letter I told you that by the time you got that letter I would be in the firing line. I have been, and I know about it. I got wounded on the August in the top of my head, but it is nothing much. I am in hospital at Port Said. I have had no letter since the 7th July. I saw David Hutchinson when I came away from the Front. He was all right then. I did not see Jack Harrison. I don’t know how he went on, but expect he would be all right . There was a lot of our men went under. We get plenty of ‘bacca’ and ‘cigs’ here, and plenty to eat, so I am taking no harm.” – Private Wilcock is the only son of Mrs. Wilcock, of Thorn Cottage.

18 October 1915

HIGH BENTHAM – War Items

A very interesting letter has been received from Private Tom Wilcock, of the 8th Battalion of the Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment, from Alexandria, where he had been in the New Zealand Stationary Hospital suffering from shrapnel wounds in the head. He states that one day in the streets he met his cousin, Wallace Wilcock, of Low Bentham, who had been wounded in the back and arm, and he also met Private Edwin Harrison, of the King’s Own, who was also invalided, and was having a rest. Neither of the three knew the others were in Alexandria.–Private Walker Sanderson of the King’s Royal Rifles, and Private Leonard Bradshaw, of the Canadian Contingent, returned to headquarters last Saturday from a 10 days furlough after being invalided.–Corporal R. Harrison, of the R.A.M.C., has just been promoted to the rank of sergeant.

10 November 1916

BENTHAM SOLDIER KILLED IN ACTION

The official news of the death of Lance-Corporal Thomas Wilcock was conveyed to his widow on Wednesday morning by the Record Office, York, which stated that the deceased had been killed in action in France on the 23rd October last. He belonged to the West Riding Regiment and answered the call in October 1914. He was sent out to the Dardanelles and got badly wounded out there on the 9th August 1915. He was in hospital for a considerable time and in June last was sent out to France. He was a joiner by trade, and served his apprenticeship with Mr. Joseph Cumberland. He leaves a widow and two little ones of 8 and 2½ years respectively. He was the only surviving son of the late James Wilcock, of Wenning Bridge, and was well known in the Bentham district.

16 November 1917

HIGHER BENTHAM – MEMORIAL SERVICE

The second memorial service for soldiers killed at the Front was held at St. Margaret’s Church on Sunday afternoon. The sacred edifice was well filled by parishioners of every shade of religious and political opinions. The Vicar (the Rev. G. H. C. Bartley) officiated, and the service was choral, commencing with the opening sentences of the burial service, chanted, as a processional with the Union Jack was carried in front, draped with violet. Between the lessons the choir gave the anthem, ‘I heard a voice from Heaven’ very beautifully, and the Vicar read out the names of the fifteen heroes who have laid down their lives from the parish, as well as the three who are missing, and supposed killed, as follows:– Captain D. Morrison; Private Ed. Magoolaghan; Lance Corporal Joe Jackson; Captain S. C. Bartley (the Vicar’s brother); Corporal E. Leeming; Private Tom Wilcock; Captain G. G. Eccles; Private Ezra Stevenson; Private Len Nelson; Captain Pollard; Private Percy Whitfield (N.Z.); Corporal Wm. Robinson; Corporal Harry Smith; Corporal R. Clarke (missing); Private Lancelot Dowbiggin; Private Ed. Briscoe; Private Edwin Smith.

As the names were read out many tears were shed at the memory of the loved ones ‘Gone West’. Then followed an excellent sermon by the Vicar from the words ‘Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friend’, at the conclusion of which Miss V. Stubbs played the ‘Dead March’ whilst the congregation remained standing. The recessional hymn was ‘For all the Saints’, and at the close the organist played ‘I know that my Redeemer liveth’ as a voluntary. The entire service was of a very impressive character.