Pte 57922 Thomas Edward Fullilove

• Age: 24
• From: London
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Monday 9th April 1917
• Commemorated at: London Cem Neuville-vitasse
  Panel Ref: No.2.Mem.P2

Thomas Edward was born in London in autumn 1892 and resided in Walworth, London. He was the son of Thomas Edward Fullilove and his wife Caroline (nee Neal), who were married on the 1st May 1892 at St. John the Evangelist Church in Walworth. Thomas was baptised on the 11th Sept 1892 at St Mark, Walworth, parents gave their address as 201 East St, Walworth.

At the time of the 1901 census 10 year old Thomas was living with his parents at 20 Barrett Road, Newington in London. He had three younger siblings – Daisy aged 6, Robert aged 3 and Louisa aged 1. His father Thomas was a house painter aged 29, and his mother Carrie was also 29.

Thomas senior died in 1907 aged 35.

The 1911 census records that Caroline is living at 8c Pasley Road, Walworth and has borne seven children, five of whom were still living. Four of those children were living at home – Thomas 18 is working as a warehouseman in a printers, his widowed mother Caroline 39 and sister Daisy 14 are working for a chocolate maker, Caroline as a coverer and Daisy as a wrapper. Robert 12 is at school and Caroline has had another baby called Doris, a half sister to Thomas, but sadly she died in 1912. His sister Louisa is recorded as being in hospital for six months when she was one year old, she died in 1918. Caroline's widowed mother Elizabeth Neal 69 is also present 

Thomas enlisted in London and was formerly 1348, London Regiment and was serving in the 18th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 57922 when he was killed in action on the 9th April 1917 during the Battle of Arras. He was 24 years of age.

Arras 09th April 1917

Details of the circumstances the 18th Battalion had to contend with are illustrated below:

The battalion formed the left assaulting battalion of the brigade, the 2nd Wiltshire Regiment being on the right, the 19th Manchester Regiment being in support and 2nd Battalion Yorkshire Regiment furnishing “moppers -up” for the two assaulting battalions. The brigade advance was timed to begin at ---- hour after “Zero”, suited to conform with the movements of 56th Division and other divisions on our left further north (near Arras). This battalion’s objective was the front-line system Lion Lane on the left (exclusive) to Panther Lane on right (exclusive). This sector included the strongpoint known as “The Egg”.

The brigade advanced at prearranged time, i.e., 11.38 a.m, from position of assembly trenches south of Neuville Vitasse to German front line. This necessitated an advance across the open of at least 2,000 yards. This area up to Neuville Vitasse- Henin road was crossed in artillery formation; after this, owing to machine-gun fire and considerable resistance from German posts forward in the sunken roads, it was found necessary to deploy. During the whole movement across the open the advancing columns had been under considerable artillery fire from guns of all calibres. On gaining the position immediately in front of German line it was found that the wire was practically uncut; this wire formed two strong belts in front of German trenches. Two small gaps were eventually discovered and Second-Lieut H.F.Merry gallantly led a bombing party through them, but his three remaining men were killed as they reached the German trenches.

From the moment the battalion was “held up” in front of German wire Capt. R. W. Jones, the senior company commander on the spot, at once began the work of consolidating in front of German wire. The battalion held on in this position for the remainder of the day, until relieved by the 16th Manchester Regiment about 3 a.m. on the 10th of April, all the time under intense machine-gun and rifle fire.

Between 9th-10th April, 1917, the 18th King's lost 2 officers 2nd Lt. F. Ashcroft and 2nd Lt. H.G. Ewing and 59 other ranks killed. 8 other officers were wounded.

Thomas now rests at London Cemetery, Neuville-Vitasse, France.

Neuville-Vitasse was attacked by the 56th (London) Division on 7 April 1917 and captured by the same Division on 9 April. The village was almost entirely lost at the end of March 1918 but regained at the end of the following August. It was later "adopted" by the Metropolitan Borough of Paddington. The London Cemetery was made by the 56th Division in April 1917 and greatly extended after the Armistice when graves were brought in from other burial grounds and from the battlefields between Arras, Vis-en-Artois and Croisilles. London Cemetery contains 747 burials and commemorations of the First World War. 318 of the burials are unidentified and on a screen wall are panels bearing the names of casualties buried in the following four cemeteries, whose graves were destroyed by shell fire:- WANCOURT ROAD CEMETERY No.2, just East of NEUVILLE-VITASSE; NEUVILLE0-VITASSE MILL CEMETERY, close to a German strong point on the road to Mercatel; BEAURAINS ROAD CEMETERY No.2, just North-West of NEUVILLE-VITASSE; BEAURAINS GERMAN CEMETERY; and ERCHIN GERMAN CEMETERY (Nord). The cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.

Reported killed in the Southwark and Bermondsey Recorder 8th June 1917

T. E. Fullilove, 57922 (Walworth), KLR;

Local Press

FULLILOVE T. E., Private, King's(Liverpool Regiment).

He volunteered in 1914 and on the completion of his training was in the same year drafted to France where he took part in much heavy fighting on the Somme, Ypres and Arras, and was wounded. On his recovery he was again in action on the Western Front and was killed in action in the Somme sector on May(sic) 9th 1917. He was entitled to the 1914 Star and the General Service and Victory Medals. 15 Stopford Road, Walworth S.E.17.

Mother Caroline, dob 24th May 1871, is on the 1939 register, still at 15 Stopford Rd, she is incapacitated. She died in 1942 aged 72 and was buried on the 26th Oct 1942 at Southwark.

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