No.30821, Private, Thomas James LONG
Aged 33
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Thomas James Long was born in Cockfield (3rd qtr 1884 Cosford 4a:637), son of Robert James and Sarah LONG (née CLARKE). Baptised in Cockfield St. Peter's on 27th July 1884.
1891 census...Aged 6, he was at The Street, Cockfield with his father Robert LONG, [41] farm labourer born Thorpe Morieux; his mother Sarah [41] born Cockfield; his brother William [15] farm labourer, born Thorpe Morieux; sister Lucy [11 months] born Cockfield 1901 census...Aged 16, a farm labourer, he was at "near the Stone", Bury Road, Cockfield with his parents, brother William (farm labourer) and sister Kate (Lucy ?) [10]. 1911 census...Aged 26, he and brother William, both farm labourers, were living at "near the Stone" Thorpe Morieux. Their father had died in 1902 and mother in 1904 About half-way along the road from Cockfield to Felsham is a threeways junction where Felsham Road and Bury Road meet (TL925560.) Embedded in the grassy triangle in the middle of the junction used to be a small glacial boulder, roughly conical in shape. By itself, this was nothing more than another erratic, of little significance. However, just a few metres away on another grassy verge is a landmark known as the Hundred-stone. Looking rather like an old milestone, this three-sided object may date from the 18th century, and once had visible on it the words "This marks the bounds of three Hundreds and three towns." The hundreds that met here were Babergh, Thedwastre and Cosford, while the 'towns' whose parish boundaries still meet at this point are Cockfield, Felsham and Thorpe Morieux. He married Florence May HOWE [1-9-1886] in 1913. She had a son, Frederick William HOWE born 11-1-1909, and they had a daughter, Jessie May LONG, on 16th January 1914. On the pension card his widow and children were at Great Green, Cockfield. |
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He enlisted in Lavenham.
The 2/7 Bn Lancashire Fusiliers War Dairy is missing the pages for March 1918. B&O 1918. Kaiserschlacht. Operation Michael. St Quentin. 2/7 Bn Lancashire Fusiliers. 21 March 1918. The 2/7 Bn Lancs. Fusiliers were holding a sector in front of St Quentin which they had taken over from French forces a few weeks previously. Much work had to be done to improve the defences. St. Quentin, in the southern sector of Operation Michael, was dealt the full force of the enemy offensive. The Division was quickly outflanked and its battalions routed. They had to make a hurried and just survived retreat. Casualties for the Division were over 7000 men.
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