Ypres Town Cemetery Extension
Ypres Town Cemetery Extension
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Thomas Trotter born at Sunderland, County Durham, was one of 14 siblings of whom only 7 survived. His father Henry Trotter a native of Stockton, Yorkshire, where he was baptised, February 15th 1849, married in the district of Sunderland in 1869 to local girl Margaret Flinn, born 1851, who had a young daughter Hannah born 1868. Their eldest child, Margaret was born in 1870, in the census of 1871 they were living at 94, Whitburn Street, a property shared by 3 other families, in total 7 adults and 12 children. These cramped conditions may have contributed to the death of their daughter Margaret in 1872, at the age of 2 years. Henry Trotter worked all his life as a blacksmith, the family moved throughout the region, ten years later they can be found at 2, Vine Street, with their children Hannah (13), John (5), Henry (3) and William (1) and at 2, Fitters Row in 1891, his wife having given birth to Fred (8), Thomas (5), and George (3). By 1901 all their elder children were married George and Thomas were scholars, however, by 1911 Henry and Margaret were living alone at 4, Trinity Place, Sunderland, the whereabouts of Thomas is unknown.
Thomas Trotter enlisted at Sunderland after the declaration of war, assigned as Driver 20440 Royal Engineers to the 17th Company attached to the 5th Division between August 1914 and March 1915 before transferring to the 28th Division which had departed to France in January 1915 and later moved to the Ypres salient in Belgium.
Driver 20440 Thomas Trotter was wounded in the line of duty and taken to the 81st Field Ambulance Royal Army Medal Corps, attached to the 27th Division where he died of wounds sustained, April 10th 1915 and was interred at Ypres Town Cemetery Extension, Ypres, Belgium, grave I. G. 4. He was 28 years of age and single.
His mother received all monies due to him, as his father Henry had died in 1912, a pension and his awards of the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Thomas Trotter is remembered at Sunderland on S140.097 and S140.048 part 7
