Photo: James Pasby
T. Morley
Able Seaman RNVR TZ/94
H.M.S. Victory
28th December 1919
Jacky Cooper has provided the following:
Thomas Morley was the son of William Naizby Morley, a joiner, and Frances Rumney who had married on 7 October 1893 at Holy Trinity Church, Pelton. Thomas was born on 3 April 1896, in Stanley, County Durham, and whilst the family was still living in Stanley, Frances gave birth to a daughter early in 1900. Sadly, before the end of the year, Thomas’ father died leaving Frances with two children under school age to bring up alone.
When the census return was made in 1901 Frances and her children were living with her father at 64 Clavering Avenue, Dunston. The menfolk of the family all worked in the mining industry; perhaps this was influential in determining Thomas’s career options. The following year Frances married Edward Stoves, a miner, and the family continued to live in Dunston. When the next census was taken she had two more daughters and fourteen year old Thomas had left school to work underground at the colliery.
War broke out in August 1914 and Thomas was quick to volunteer. He enlisted on 6 November 1914 and was assigned to C Company, Hawke Battalion. This was one of eight naval battalions in the 63rd Division, originally made up of reservists and volunteers who were not needed for service at sea. His service number, sometimes written as TZ/941 indicates he was part of the Tyne Division.
It appears that Thomas went with the Division to Gallipoli in the spring of 1915, as he was admitted to the 17th General Hospital in Alexandria on 3 May 1915 after suffering a gunshot wound to the head. He remained in hospital until 23 June and then joined 8th Entrenching Battalion. These battalions were formed to work on rear defence works, and it is likely that Thomas was sent there to keep him reasonably close to the front until he could go back to the battalion. After the evacuation of Gallipoli the division moved to France in May 1916, by which time there were very few men serving who had served at sea.
It was on 13 September 1916 that Thomas went back to Hawke Battalion, which took part in the Battle of the Ancre in November. On 26 November 1916 Thomas was gassed and didn’t return to his battalion until 12 February 1917. Just a week later Thomas became ill, and was off strength from 19 February until 21 March. After fighting in the Arras Offensive in April Thomas was again gassed on 6 May. This time he was invalided back to the UK on 18 May.
After treatment in the UK, when he was considered fit for service again, Thomas was posted to 253rd Divisional Employment Company on 11 April 1918, and served in that unit until the end of the war. He contracted influenza and was one again invalided back to the UK on 12 December 1918 prior to being demobilised on 11 January and discharged on 8 February 1919. In the UK Thomas was based on H.M.S. Victory, a shore based establishment in Portsmouth.
When he was demobilised Thomas went back to Dunston and lived with his mother at 82 Donnison Street. It seems that his health remained poor, and he died on 28 December 1919. For his service to his country Thomas earned the 1914-1915 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
His mother Frances died in 1934 in the Gateshead area.
Thomas Morley is remembered in Whickham on W86.09
