Wiles, Thomas William

Private Thomas William Wiles 28858 (1878-1918) 6th Battalion The Leicestershire Regiment
Thomas was born Nafferton in 1876, the son of William Wiles and Sarah Ann Wiles nee Hocknell, who lived in Village Street, Bewholme. He was one of six children, George
born in 1871, Mary in 1872, Fred in 1874, Catherine in 1878 and Walter in 1880.
Thomas married Mary Elizabeth Bielby in 1901. They had three children, John William born in 1902, Gertrude Mary in 1905 and Gladys Muriel in 1906. They lived at 10, Ocean Terrace, Southgate, Hornsea although Mary Elizabeth and her children had moved into Southgate at the time of Thomas’s death. Thomas worked as a General Labourer with C and F Stephenson, who were builders in Hornsea, and was a member of the Victoria
Perseverance Lodge No 478 United Ancient Order of Druids in Hornsea. He enlisted in the army in November 1916 and joined the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion before transferring to the infantry in the 6th Battalion of The Leicestershire Regiment. This was a Service Battalion that was serving in the 110th Brigade 21st Division. At this time the main phase of the Battle of the Somme was drawing to a close. It had taken place between the 1st July and the 18th November and was one of humanity’s bloodiest battles for more than a million
men were either killed or wounded. It is likely that Thomas was one of many new soldiers brought in to return the Battalion to full fghting strength. The Battalion was involved in the offensive in which British and Australian forces successfully attacked German positions near Epehy in France. The attack began on the morning of the 18th September 1918 and in achieving victory the Allies exposed the emerging low morale of the enemy. The offensive proved instrumental in eventually leading to the exhausted German soldiers surrendering. Thomas was killed on the first day of the battle. His grave is identified as III.G.22
in the Unicorn Cemetery, Vendhuile, Picardie, Aisne. France. His grave inscription, reads, “GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS NOT FORGOTTEN BY WIFE AND FAMILY”.