Pte 38789 Thomas Gaskell

• Age: 38
• From: Lydiate
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 4th August 1917
• Commemorated at: Hagle Dump Cem,
  Panel Ref: III.E.9

Thomas Gaskell was born in 1879 at Lydiate, Liverpool and was baptised 16^th March 1879 at St Thomas C. of E. Church, Lydiate. He was the son of George Gaskell of 28 Doric Street, Seaforth and his wife Sarah (nee Bevan). They had married on 03rd February 1875.

On the 1881 Census the family are living at the Cottage, Turnpike Road, Lydiate. His father George aged 27 is a coachman who was born in Ince Blundell, and his wife Sarah aged 37 born Gnosall Heath, Staffs. They have four children George 5 born in Waterloo, Mary 3 , Thomas 2 and Joseph aged 4 months all born in Lydiate. 

On the 1891 Census the family have moved to 24 Roman Street, Litherland. His father George 37 is now an agricultural labourer, his wife Sarah 48, has no occupation listed. They have three of their children living with them; Thomas 12, Joseph 10 and Margaret 7 who was also born in Lydiate. (The other two children George jnr. and Mary are missing). 

On the 1901 Census the family have moved again to 110 Rawson Road, Seaforth. His father George now 47 has no occupation, his wife Sarah is aged 58. They have four children living with them at the taking of the Census, George 25, a bricklayers labourer, Thomas 22  is a groom, Joseph 20 is employed as a bricklayer and Margaret aged 17. 

The mother Sarah died 1905.

The 1911 Census shows the family living at 28 Doric St Seaforth.  His father George is a widower aged 57, born 1854 and no occupation listed. He lives with his son Thomas who is aged 32, born 1879 and is a domestic groom and his daughter Margaret aged 27, born 1884 and she is a housekeeper.

Thomas enlisted in Seaforth, Liverpool and was serving in the 17th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 38789 when he was killed in action on the 4th August, 1917 aged 38 during the Third Battle of Ypres.

The 17th Battalion Diary groups the action of the opening day of the offensive up to the relief of the Battalion on 04th August as follows: 

On that day, the 89th Brigade was to follow up the attacks of the 21st and 90th Brigades and once their objectives had been taken, to go through them and secure a line of strong points on the German third line. The 89th Brigade line of attack was from the South West corner of Polygon Wood, to the Menin Road. The 17th Battalion The King’s Liverpool Regiment was on the left of the attack, and the 20th to the right, with the 19th Battalion and the 2nd Battalion The Bedfordshire Regiment, in Divisional Reserve.

The Battalion moved into assembly positions east of Maple Copse between 05.00 and 05.20am, they were heavily shelled and suffered many casualties. At 07.50 they began to advance with the 17th Battalion on the left, and the 20th on the right, the whole time under heavy shell fire. On reaching their position which was the Blue Line , troops of both the 21st and 90th Brigades were still pinned down and thus any attempt at further progress were futile.

Despite this they pushed on until their flank was just touching Clapham Junction. They then dug in and awaited the inevitable bombardment which hit them soon after. Despite this, they held onto the ground.

During the action and their time in the line the 17th Battalion lost three officers and 79 men killed or died of wounds, and four officers and 198 men wounded. They were eventually relieved on the night of 3rd -4th August. 

Thomas was one of those casualties referred to.

He now rests at Hagle Dump Cemetery, Elveringhe, Belgium.

Elverdinge was behind the Allied front line throughout the war, and Hospital Farm and Ferme-Olivier Cemeteries, both in the commune, were used in the earlier years for Commonwealth burials.

The cemetery, which was begun in April 1918, during the Battles of Lys, was named after a nearby stores dump. It was used by fighting units and field ambulances until the following October and was enlarged after the Armistice when more than 200 graves were brought into Plots III and IV from the battlefields of the Ypres Salient and the following cemetery:-

BRIELEN MILITARY CEMETERY, which was close to the South side of Brielen village, contained the graves of 31 French soldiers, 16 from the United Kingdom and four Canadian, and was used from April 1915 to September 1917.

The graves of 26 American soldiers, who fell in July-September 1918, and two French soldiers were removed to other burials grounds.

Hagle Dump Cemetery contains 437 Commonwealth burials of the First World War, 139 of which are unidentified.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield.

A report on his death appeared in the Crosby Herald on the 1st September 1917.

SEAFORTH SOLDIER KILLED IN ACTION.

 News has been received of the death in action of Pte. Thomas Gaskell, second son of Mr. Geo. Gaskell, of 28, Doric-street, Seaforth. Pte. Gaskell, who belonged to the King's (Liverpool Regiment), was wounded in March of this year, and had only been back in France six weeks before his death, which occurred some time between July 31st and August 4th. Prior to the war he was in employ of Mrs. Barrow, of Beach Lawn, Waterloo, for 17 years. He was an enthusiastic bowler, and was brother to the late Mr. George Gaskell, who was caretaker of Waterloo Town Hall.

Thomas is also commemorated on the Waterloo with Seaforth Civic Memorial.

Soldiers Effects to sister Margaret, Pension to father George and sister Margaret. 

His father George died in 1922

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