PTE THOS J SPINK 1ST S.W.BDS.
8720 Private Thomas James Spink
1st Battalion, South Wales Borderers
killed in action 26th September 1914
aged 26
La Ferte-Sous-Jouarre Memorial
St Machar's Church Memorial, Bridge of Weir
Son of John William Spink and Sarah Pricee
Croft Head, Bridge of Weir
killed in action 26th September 1914
aged 26
La Ferte-Sous-Jouarre Memorial
St Machar's Church Memorial, Bridge of Weir
Son of John William Spink and Sarah Pricee
Croft Head, Bridge of Weir
His Life
Thomas James Spink was born in first three months of 1888 in Walsall, Staffordshire, the youngest of a family of five known children born to John William Spink, a currier and Sarah Pricee, both from Walsall, Staffordshire, who had married in Walsall in third quarter of 1878.
In 1881 William (21), Sarah (22), and their first child Polly were living at 5 Butts Street, Rushall, Walsall.
In 1891 the Spink family was living at 7 Bank Street, Walsall. William was a leather currier and the children were at school except for young Thomas (3).
In 1901 William Spink, still a leather currier, was boarding with the Walden family in 35 Northampton Road, Walgrave, Northants.
By 1903, John William Spink, journeyman currier, had moved to 4 Windsor Place, Bridge of Weir. On 21st July he married Sarah McDade (43), a millworker from Bridgelinn, Bridge of Weir. John William is recorded as a widower and Thomas Spink was one of the witnesses.
In 1911, Sarah, still a millworker, was living in Burngill, Bridge of Weir, but her husband was not at home on the night of the census. By then, her step-son Thomas had joined the British Army, the only one of the Bridge of Weir fallen to have enlisted before the war. In 1911, aged 24, he was a Private billeted in barracks in South Africa with the 2nd Battalion, South Wales Borderers.
Private Spink was later transferred to the 1st Battalion, which became part of the 3rd Brigade of the 1st Division of the British Expeditionary Force. He first joined the theatre of war in France on 13th August 1914, nine days after the war began and was involved in the rapid march south from Mons, and in the fringes of the Battle of the Marne before the two opposing armies fought each other to a standstill at the Aisne and dug in for the duration.
The diary of Captain C.J. Paterson, Adjutant is appended to the official War Diaries. The entry for 26th September reads:
86 men and four officers of the 1st battalion were killed in the engagement, including Thomas Spink. He was the first land casualty on the Bridge of Weir Memorial. His name is also recorded at La Ferte-Sous-Jouarre Memorial to the 3,740 officers and men of the British Expeditionary Force who fell at the battles of Mons, Le Cateau, the Marne and the Aisne between the end of August and early October 1914 and have no known graves.
By the time of his death, Thomas's family was living in Croft Head, Bridge of Weir.
The engagement where Thomas Spink fell on 26th September 1914. The 1st South Wales Borderers were in the 3rd Brigade of the 1st Division, and defended a German attack on the slopes of Mont Faucon.
Siblings
| 1881 Census | 1891 Census | 1901 Census | 1911 Census | Birthplace | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Age | Name | Age | Name | Age | Name | Age | |
| Polly | 2 | Mary A | 12 | Walsall, Staffordshire | ||||
| Willm E | 9 | Walsall, Staffordshire | ||||||
| Hannah | 6 | Walsall, Staffordshire | ||||||
| Sarah | 5 | Walsall, Staffordshire | ||||||
| Thomas | 3 | Thomas James* | 24 | Walsall, Staffordshire |
*= not in the family home of John and Sarah Spink - see text for details
Sources
- Commonwealth War Graves Commission
- William Spink and Sarah Pricee Marriage. Walsall. Jul-Sep 1878. FreeBMD Marriage Index, 1837-1915.
- John William Spink and Sarah McDade Marriage cert 21st July 1903. Regd 25 July 1903, Bridge of Weir
- 1881 UK Census: Parish: Rushall; Borough, Walsall ; Page:21; Sch 109.
- 1891 UK Census: Page 18; Page 19; Parish: Walsall Foreign; Borough, Walsall; Sch 108.
- 1901 UK Census: Parish: Walgrave; County, Northants; Page:6; Line:6; RG13/1437.
- 1911 UK Census: Parish: Houston & Houston West: page 17. Line 15. 559/0B 001/00 017.
- 1911 UK Census: Military, South Africa, RD641; Piece 34077: South Wales Borderers: Page 4; Line 30
- History of the Great War based on Official Documents. Military Operations France and Belgium 1914. J E Edmonds and A F Becke. 1937.pp450-1.
- War Diaries: National Archives: WO95/1280. 1st Battalion, South Wales Borderers. Aug-Dec 1914. Appendix:
- Paisley and Renfrewshire Gazette
o 5th December 1914: Private Thomas Spink, 1st South Wales Borderers was killed in action at Vendresse on 26th October 1914. Sincere sympathy will go to his relatives who are well known in the Village. Private Spink's father is employed as a currier. [ed NOTE: Date of death was 26th September 1914] - Medals: Victory, British War, 1914 Star.
- At the same moment as this attack was beaten back,
another began to develop against the front of the 3rd
Brigade on the left of the 2nd, which continued nearly until
noon. First, in the early light of the morning, about a
thousand men in close formation advanced against - it can
hardly be called attacked - the Queen's at the head of the
Moulins valley. This again gave a superb opportunity to
the British machine guns, and the column was repulsed
with heavy loss. Nothing was attempted against the
Gloucestershire on the left of the Queen's ; but against the
South Wales Borderers, next to them on the spur of Mont
Faucon, a force of about 1,200 Germans issued from the
woods and broken ground on their front, and moved forward apparently in platoon columns covered by skirmishers.
A fire fight ensued, which lasted nearly two hours before
superiority over the Germans was obtained. Towards
8 A.M. a further effort was made by the Germans with
increased numbers, and at one point they succeeded in
penetrating the line of the Borderers. The reserve company went forward without a moment's hesitation, and,
with the assistance of two companies of the Welch which
were sent by the brigadier to the right round the slopes of
Mont Faucon, succeeded in retaking the trenches after a
hot fight. Meanwhile, the rest of the South Wales Borderers were for a time held to their trenches by heavy
shrapnel fire.
The total losses
must have been severe : dead were lying thick before the
trench the Germans had carried, and, considering the havoc
wrought by the British artillery, the number of enemy killed
alone must have exceeded the total casualties of the British.
These were just under two hundred and fifty, four-fifths of
which fell upon the South Wales Borderers.
-
26th September 1914: "The most ghastly day of my life and yet one of the proudest because my Regiment did its job and held on against heavy odds. At 4.15am Germans attacked. Main attack apparently against my regiment, which is the left of our line. D and A Companies in the trenches. B and C hustled up to support, and soon the whole place alive with bullets. News comes that they are trying to work round our left. The CO asked the Welsh Regiment to deal with this, which it did. Poor D Company had to face the music more than anyone else.
Presently the news comes that the Germans are in a quarry in the middle of our line, i.e that our line was pierced. C Company drove them clean out. About 3pm, things began to quieten down, D and A companies had done their share of the work on the right and left. We were able to reorganise more or less, except for D Company's far advanced trenches, and those we searched at night and found James wounded, Sills and Welby killed.
Total casualties. Killed Welby, Simonds, Coker, Sills and 86 men; wounded - Pritchard, James and Gwynn slightly, and 95 men; and missing 12. These 12 were of D Company, and apparently surrendered. May they be spared to reach England again and be tried by court martial and get what they deserve. Never has the 24th surrendered yet, and in spite of casualties the rest of the Regiment stuck to it and fought as Englishmen and 24th men could fight.
We are now left with three Officers each in three companies, and only two in the fourth, instead of six in each. A sad, sad business, but everyone played up, and as the French say, "Qui perd, gagne". We have lost men and officers, but have again won a name for doing what it is our duty to do and in this case we held a very important line without giving a yard".
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