Very little of the early life or origins of Thomas Fitton can be found, however his army paperwork shows that he was son to Lordalski, younger and only brother of Sydney who was 24 in 1917, and presumably their mother was dead as his paperwork lists ‘None’ in the relevant field. Thomas worked as a Glass Bottle Blower at Kilner Brother’s Glassworks. He was 18 years and 10 months old when he was called up for service in April 1917 and lived with his Grandmother and Father Lordaski at 11 Trent Terrace, Conisbrough in a house which still stands today. He was 5’9 inches tall, weighed 9st 5lb and had an expanded chest measurement of 35 inches. He had a mole on the front of his left thigh, and a tattoo to his right forearm. Thomas’s brother Sydney also served in the army. He enlisted in October 1915 and his attestation was witnessed by one George Brocklesby; eldest of four boys and brother to Bert Brocklesby, who famously refused to fight, and was jailed as a conscientious objector in 1916. George himself was too ill to serve. Sydney served in the Royal Engineers, and his papers list his rank as ‘Pioneer’ within the 231st Field Company. Fortunately, I can find no record of Sydney’s death and assume he returned home after the war; indeed his papers suggest he was transferred to ‘Class “2” Army  Reserve’.

The paperwork shows that Thomas was ‘deemed to have been enlisted’ on 24th September 1916, and was ‘called up for service’ on 23rd April 1917 at an age of 18 years and 10 months. The paperwork is damaged but appears to show that he was at home until 26th July 1917, and that on 27th, he was posted elsewhere when he would have been over the age of 19; the legal age at which men were allowed to be posted overseas in the Army. Thomas stated that he would like to serve in the Royal Engineers; presumably because his elder brother Sidney was also serving in that regiment. Unfortunately, he was instead placed into the York and Lancaster Regiment, in the infantry. He was originally posted to the 10th Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment, and moved to the 1/5th on the 10th August 1917. He sustained a head wound on the 29th October and died three days later, on 23rd October 1917 at No. 10 Casualty Clearing station.

In April 1918, a number of personal effects were returned to Thomas’s father Lordalski. They were listed as ‘1 Pr Scissors, Purse, Watch (broken) & strap, Photos, Canvas case, Brooch, Cards, Wallet, 2 Franc note (defaced).’

Thomas is buried at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, which is the second largest Commonwealth cemetery in Belgium, after Tyne Cot.