On the Ploegsteert Memorial, Hainaut, Belgium, is the name of 31484 Private Thomas Hopper serving with “A” Company 20th (Service) Battalion Durham Light Infantry who died 04/08/1916.

Joyce Marley has submitted the following:-

Thomas was born in Elvet, Durham 10th May 1890 to William (a dyer’s labourer at that time) and Elizabeth Hopper (nee Wilson). He was the 2nd child and the first son. He had 3 sisters, Emily, Jane Ann and Christina and his only brother was my Grandad, also called William. Thomas was my Great Uncle.

His mother died in 1904 when he was 14 years of age. In 1911 he was living with his sister Jane Ann and her husband John Joseph Johnson at Old Elvet. Thomas was working as a Bookbinder in a Stationers.

Thomas married Isabel Anderson 12th June 1915 at St Oswald’s Church Durham. Isabel Anderson Thomas’s wife, was the sister of my Gran, Mary Anderson, Mary married William, Thomas’s brother, therefore 2 sisters married 2 brothers.

Thomas and Isabel had one daughter, Winifred, born 1st January 1916 and lived at New Elvet.

Thomas attested at Durham 8th December 1915 and joined the Durham Light Infantry, after training he went to France 2nd July 1916.

Thomas was killed in action 4th August 1916, he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Ploegsteert memorial.

His widow Isabel was awarded a pension of 15 shillings a week for herself and Winifred from the 19th February 1917. By this time she was living at 5, Swinburn Terrace Bells Close Scotswood Newcastle.

Thomas was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

Thomas’ nephew also called Thomas was killed during the Second World War.

We are all in his debt for our lives.

Sources: The Western Front Association; The British Newspaper Archive;

Thomas Hopper is remembered at Durham on D47.50, D47.054, D47.125 and D47.165, also at Durham in the D.L.I. Book of Remembrance, page 203, and in the Battalion History, pages 48 and 64.