Jean Longstaff has submitted the following:-

Thomas, born on 19th June 1877, was the only son of Crook grocer John Cummins and his wife Mary, and had three older sisters, Mary Jane, Annie and Elizabeth, and two younger ones, Minnie and Kate. The family lived above the shop in Gladstone Street, and by the time he was 14 Tom was working as an errand boy for his father. By 1901 he was running a grocery shop in Bill Quay and lodging in the area. On 26th February 1902 Thomas married Sarah Hayton from Willington, who had been working as a servant for a Wesleyan minister in Shildon.

13th November 1909 saw Thomas in Liverpool embarking on the SS Corsican making for Toronto and a job as a grocer, whilst Sarah remained in England. Twelve months later he crossed into the US making for Streator, Illinois and a job as a grocery clerk with a cousin Thomas Milburn. It is not known how long Thomas stayed in the USA, but on 23rd September 1915 he was in Guelph, Ontario enlisting n the Canadian Expeditionary Force, giving his wife, Sarah, now living in Sunderland, as his next of kin.

Becoming Private 126750 on the strength of the 71st Battalion, at the end of November the Battalion sailed from Montreal to Plymouth and then moved on to the camp at West Sandling just outside Folkestone, Kent. On 6th June 1916 Thomas was transferred to the 58th Battalion and almost immediately found himself posted to France as part of the 9th Infantry Brigade, 3rd Canadian Division, where in August he forfeited one day’s pay for disobeying orders.

8th October 1916 saw the 58th Battalion in the front line with orders to attack the enemy’s Regina Trench near Courcelette in front of which was barbed concertina wire about 4 feet high and 4 feet wide. As they attempted to cut the wire and force their way through they were subjected to very heavy machine gun and rifle fire. “No praise can be too high for the splendid manner in which the men fought and continued to fight until the situation was hopeless” is a quote from their Commanding Officer in the war diary. Thomas Cummins was reported as wounded and missing that day and six months later confirmed as killed in action. He was buried in Adanac Military Cemetery, 6 miles north east of Albert. His medals and a memorial cross were sent to his widow, Sarah, in October 1920, and a memorial cross was also sent to his mother, still living in Crook.

Thomas Cummins is remembered in Crook on C121.04 as having served with the Durham Light Infantry, C121.14, C121.15 and C121.19

He is also remembered in Canada on their Virtual War Memorial and in the Canadian Book of Remembrance.

Canadian Book of Remembrance
Canadian Virtual War Memorial
The CWGC entry for Private Cummins