On the Ypres Menin Gate Memorial, Belgium is the name of 10345 Private Thomas William Boyle, serving with the 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards who died 23/10/1914.

Thomas William Boyle, was born on the 18th July 1896. baptised 2nd August 1896, the second son of eight children to William Boyle, (born  November, 1858, baptised 29th November 1858, Upperhills, Castlecomer, Kilkenny, Ireland. died 9th February 1921), and his wife Bridget Mary nee Jackson, (born  Dunlavin, 12th August 1856, baptised 15th August 1859, died 30th November 1949), daughter of  Thomas and Elizabeth nee Conneran Jackson,  They were married on the 6th July 1886 at Westminster, London.

The children were:-

• Mary Jane Boyle, born 18th July 1887. She died 11th June 1974. Mary married  Arthur Woodcock, born 7th March 1892, died 20th March 1959, on the 26th February 1916. They had two children. In 1939, they were residing at 46 Marshall Road, Manchester.
• Elizabeth Susannah Boyle, born 1889, died 1929, married  Thomas Gray, born 23rdApril 1890, [an Engine Fitter], on the 28th October 1911 at St Joseph’s church, Gateshead. (Thomas was residing at 41 School Street and Elizabeth was residing at 17 Clayton Street, Gateshead). They had four children. Thomas was a LNER Porter in 1939 residing at 41 School Street, Gateshead.
• Catherine Ann Boyle, born 18th September 1890, baptised 12th October 1890, St Joseph’s, Stanley, she died 1964. She married Epraim Albert Faulder, (born 13th March 1886, died 22nd August 1967), on the 25th June 1910. In 1939, they were residing at 50 Fleming Street. They had nine children.
• Margaret Mary Boyle, born 1892, died 30th June 1893.
• Isaac Boyle, born June 1894, died 10th October 1895.
• Agnes Mary Boyle, born 1898, died 13th May 1913.
• Theresa Boyle, born 1900, died 1901.

The family in 1901 were residing at 42 Wilson Street, Gateshead, before moving to 47 Waugh Street by 1911.  When Thomas enlisted the family were now at 102 Marian Street, Gateshead.  Thomas was following in his father’s footsteps, as William had enlisted into the Coldstream Guards for thirteen years, he was time served by 1887. He re-enlisted in WW1 into the Royal Engineers, service number 115828, with the rank of Pioneer in the 3rd Provisional Company, but was discharged 28th April 1916 after completing 259 days of service.

Thomas William Boyle was a putter at the local colliery. He enlisted on the 4th September 1913 at Newcastle upon Tyne into the 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards. Service number 10345 as a private. Thomas William Boyle was in the Blenheim Guard Barracks at Aldershot when WW1 broke out. The 1st Battalion marched out on the 12th/13th August and boarded the Dunvegan Castle, ship number 105854,  Thomas William embarked for France, disembarking at Le Havre, leaving by the port of Southampton. On disembarking at Le Havre, the battalion march to a rest camp 5 miles away.

15th August 1914, the battalion left the rest camp and arrived by train at Le Nouvion. 17th March they marched to Boue, a small charming village two miles from Etruex, where the rest of the 1st Guards Brigade were billeted.

On the 23rd October 1914, The 1st Battalion were in a counter attack to recover the lost trenches at Kortekeer. On the right of the Coldstream line, however, the bombardment  which was directed against the whole of the 1st Division was peculiarly severe; the enemy made a determined effort to seize Langemarck and he shelled it very heavily as well as the ground in the neighbourhood. He advanced under cover of this fire, and one of our trenches, sited in the dark, coming under enfilade at close range, the greater part of no 2 Company was forced back. But the position was soon recovered by a counter-attack organised by Major Hamilton with no 2 Company, with a company of the Gloucestershire Regiment, and  one of the 60th Rifles, well supported by the fire of the remainder of the Gloucesters and  the 2nd Welsh Regiment which punished the assailants severely and drove then back in disorder.

In the first days of the battle of Ypres the Germans with superior numbers launched simultaneous assaults all along the British line and did not concentrate their efforts on one point. 
Source: The Coldstream Guards Vol 1 page 202/203.

Thomas William died of wounds received in action at Ypres on the 23rd October 1914. He was unmarried.

Acknowledgments; De Ruvigny Roll of Honour;  Western Front Association;  British Newspaper Archive; The Coldstream Guards History Volume 1;

Thomas William Boyle is remembered at Gateshead in G39.004, page 16.