Reeves, Thomas
Summary
Father: William Henry REEVESMother:
Birth: c June 1892
Birth Source: Military Enlistment Papers
Death: 1919
Death Source: CWGC
Spouse1:
Narrative
Nothing is currently known about Thomas's life prior to his appearance in records related to his military service. However, it is strongly suspected this may be the same individual as Joseph Thomas REEVES son of William Henry REEVES. He appears exclusively as Thomas Reeves in all military papers examined so far.See Research Note 1 below.
Whilst there is ambiguity about the identity of this individual, his parentage is more certain. The military records relating to this individual mention his father William Reeves on more than one occasion and there is also a single reference to an older brother William, who would be William John Reeves. Thomas's Military History Sheet shows two addresses for his father, the first presumably given on enlistment in February 1911 was 19 Hardwick Road, Halton, Hastings. This is very similar to the address for his father and family on the 1911 census only a couple of month later of 17 Hardwicke Road, Hastings; particularly when allowing for transcription errors which may have occurred within the military systems. The Hardwick Road address has been struck through and written above in a different hand is 26 Stonefield Road, Hastings.
Based on his regimental number of L/9605, it is likely that Thomas enlisted in the Royal Sussex Regiment around March 1911. (See Research Note 2 below.) From his military papers subsequently obtained, he enlisted in the Royal Sussex Regiment on 3 February 1911 at Hastings and was assigned Regimental Number 9605. (See Research Note 3 below.) His was a "Short Service" enlistment for 7 years with the Colours to be followed by a further 5 years in the Reserve. Thomas gave his place of birth as St Clements, Hastings and his age is recorded as 18 years and 7 months, which would place his birth around June 1892 (Images 0341 & 0342).
On the 1911 census there is a Thomas Reeves listed as a member of the Depot Battalion of the Royal Sussex Regiment in the Barracks for Infantry, Broyle Road, Chichester, Sussex. He is age is recorded as 18 years. His place of birth is Hastings, Sussex.
The form "Statement of the Services of No 9605 Thomas Reeves" shows he was initially attached to the Depot of the Royal Sussex Regiment on 2 February 1911, was posted to the 2nd Battalion in June 1911 and subsequently posted to the 1st Battalion in December 1913.
In June 1911 he moved from Chichester barracks, Sussex to Curraugh Camp in County Kildare, about 40 miles from Dublin, Ireland. In January 1914 he arrived in (British) India, spending time in Peshawar and Cherat. His battalion remained in India throughout the Great War.
The final entry on his Statement of Services notes "Killed in Action at Ali Musjid 16-5-19" (16 May 1919). The words "Killed in Action" have been subsequently crossed through and "Died of wounds" written above.
Thomas's death is recorded by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's as Thomas Reeves He was serving as Private L/9605 in the 1st Battalion of the Royal Sussex Regiment and died in May 1919. It notes he is commemorated in the Delhi Memorial (India Gate), India. The CWGC additionally notes "(Buried Peshawar (Right) B.C. XLV. 49.)". Peshawar is the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly called the North-West Frontier Province) of Pakistan.
The death of Private L/9605 of the Royal Sussex Regiment is included in the GRO Index to War Deaths 1914-1921. Army (Other Ranks) page 3013 as Thomas Reeves, year 1919, vol I.73, page 438.
Research Notes
(1) There is no entry on FreeBMD across the period 1870-1899 in either the Battle or Hastings Registration Districts for a "Thomas Reeves", save for a b.reg. during 1q1892 of Thomas Henry Reeves in Hastings Registration District and a seemingly corresponding d.reg. in the same quarter and place of Thomas Henry Reeves, age 0. It is of course possible these entries do not relate to the same person, but there is no evidence of a Thomas born c 1892 on the 1901 census.The birth and death certificates for this individual have not been obtained. They would of course reveal his parents.
So who might this Thomas be?
(1.a) Enabling a Phonetic search at FreeBMD for the birth of a "Thomas Reeves" across the same time period and districts produces no additional results.
(1.b) A similar phonetic search for "Thomas Reeve" produces one result.
3q1892 Thomas Henry ROFEE
This individual has been identified on the 1901 and 1911 census returns in a family context. His father was another Thomas ROFFE. This individual is discounted.
(1.c) A more generic search on FreeBMD for "* Thomas Reeves" registered within Sussex in the same period results in 13 matches (10 births and 3 deaths). Limiting the geographic area to just two registration districts, Battle and Hastings, gives three births and one death (for a 54 year old George Thomas Reeves). The births are
3q1870 George Thomas Reeves Hastings
3q1888 Joseph Thomas Reeves Hastings
1q1892 Joseph Thomas Reeves Hastings
A yet more generic search "* T Reeves" yields no further results.
(1.c.1) George Thomas Reeves, born 1870 plus his wife Fanny (nee Robinson, married 14 years) has been identified on the 1911 census at 44 High Street, Hastings - RG14, Piece 4736, Reg. Dist. 69 (Hastings), Sub Dist. 2 (All Saints), Enum.Dist. 6, Schedule 52. This individual appears on the 1881 census at 2 Ashburnham Place, Hastings (RG11, Piece 1022, Folio 101 face, Page 19), the son of George T Reeves and his wife Jane (perhaps nee Butter). Also found 1891 at 3 Gloucester Place, Hastings (RG12, Piece 0760, Folio 39 reverse, Page 42) again with his parents. On 1901 census at 32 Vicarage Road, Hastings with Canadian wife Fanny A (mnu) (RG13, Piece 0866, Folio 97 face, Page 1). Perhaps d.reg. as George T Reeves during 1q1946 age 75 (so born c 1871) in Hastings Registration District.
This George is probably too old to be Thomas, who started his military career around 1911 and his father's name does not match that expected for Thomas.
(1.c.2) Joseph Thomas Reeves, born 1892, as been identified on both the 1901 and 1911 census returns as the son of Joseph Reeves and his wife Emily (nee ???). This family, including Joseph junior, appears on the 1911 census at 19 Waldegrave Street, Hastings - RG14, Piece 4746, Reg. Dist. 69 (Hastings), Sub Dist. 2 (All Saints), Enum.Dist. 16, Schedule 187. There is also a death registration in 2q1963 for a Joseph T Reeves, aged 71 so born c1892, in the Hastings Registration District. (As at 1Oct 2015 not shown by FreeBMD but this entry is indexed by both FamilySearch and The Genealogist and is clearly shown on the GRO Index page 489 for 2q1963).
This Joseph Thomas Reeves was clearly not WW1 fatality Thomas Reeves and his father's name does not match that expected for Thomas.
(1.c.3) Joseph Thomas Reeves, born 1888 has been positively identified on both the 1891 and 1901 census returns as the son of William Henry REEVES and his wife Sophia (nee Saxby). This Joseph is not found in a family context on the 1911 census.
His father's given names do match those expected for Thomas. Given a birth registration during the third quarter of 1888, this individual might be expect to appear on the 1911 census as aged 23. Thomas's age is shown as 18 on the 1911 military return. It is of course possible he was being economical with his age or it was mis-recorded
Note, however, this potential affinity is based on fragile supposition. For example, there is a death registration during 1q1969 of a Joseph Reeves in nearby Eastbourne Reg.Dist. age 81, suggesting this individual was born circa 1888. Given the increased mobility of the population at large, it is not possible to identify this Joseph with any certainty without obtaining a copy of his 1969 death registration.
(2) The likely date of Thomas's enlistment in the Royal Sussex Regiment as around March 1911 is based on information found at http://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.co.uk/2009/05/royal-sussex-regiment-1st-2nd.html. It shows that soldier 9556 joined on 2 January 1911 and 9841 on 6 January 1912. Further research showed he actually enlisted in early February 1911. This helps validate this method of estimation which has been employed for other individuals with TRP.
(3) The surviving WO363 military service file for Thomas Reeves comprises 39 images, some of which are small fragments. The images are numbered 0341 to 0378. The date on the first page (0341) of the enlistment form is not easy to read. However the printed form has been amended to strike out reference to King Edward VII and insert the name of King George V. George V's reign started on 6 May 1910. The second page (0342) is clearly dated 3 February 1911. Other pages in his file show his service counting from 2 February 1911.
Sources
Birth:Baptism:
Marriage:
Death: GRO Index to War Deaths 1914-1921 Army (Other Ranks) page 3013
CWGC http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1437745/REEVES, THOMAS
1891 Census:
1901 Census:
1911 Census: RG14, Piece 5414, Reg.Dist. 86 (Chichester), Sub Dist. 1 (Chichester), Enum.Dist. 14, Page 1, Row 22
Military Sources
WO363 - Image 0341 - Short Service Enlistment - Army Form B. 265*** corner torn
WO363 - Image 0374 - Statement of the Services of ...
WO363 - Image 0375 - Military History Sheet
From Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1918 at FindMyPast
First name(s) THOMAS Last name REEVES Service number L/9605 Rank PRIVATE Regiment Royal Sussex Regiment Battalion 1st Battalion. Birth place ST. CLEMENTS, SUSSEX Residence - Enlistment place HASTINGS Death year 1919 Death day 16 Death month 5 Cause of death Died of wounds Death place India Theatre of war Asiatic Theatres