More Details
| Name - Last Name First | Willis, Thomas George |
| Birth Date- day/month/year // Parents if known | 09 Aug 1898 |
| Distinctions | |
| Birth Place | Islington, London, England |
| Home Child Sending Organization | Annie MacPherson Homes |
| Year / Age Arrived in Canada as BHC | 1913 - 14 yrs |
| BHC Registry ID # | |
| Find A Grave Memorial # | |
| Spouse | |
| War(s) Served USE: WW1 or WW2 | WW1 |
| Regimental Number | 651471 |
| Date of Enlistment / Apparent Age / Real Age | 24 Jan 1916 18½ / 17½ |
| City of Residence upon Enlistment (include country) | Armow, Ontario, Canada |
| Previous Service | no |
| Place of Enlistment | Kincardine, Ontario, Canada |
| Next of Kin / Relationship / Location | Willis, Alice, Mother, Shoreditch, London, England // Willis, Violet, Sister |
| Discharged: Date / Reason | n/a |
| Final Rank / Battalion / Unit | 18th Bn., (Western Ontario Regiment), Canadian Infantry |
| Killed in Action - Battle / Death Due to Service / Survived | KIA '100 Days Offensive' |
| Date of Death/ location / Cause | 17 Sep 1918 / Died of wounds |
| Age at Death | 20 |
| Place of Burial | Aubigny Communal Cemetery Extension, Pas de Calais, France |
Notes
Parents: Thomas Willis & Alice Boulton
1898 Birth: 09 Aug 1898 GRO Reg. 1898 Thomas Willis Jul-Aug-Sep quarter in Edmonton, Middlesex, England Vol 03a Page 376 MMN: Boulton
1905 Birth of BHC sister: Gladys May Willis, 1905 Apr-May-Jun quarter in Islington Vol 01b Page 224 MMN: Boulton
1911 Census England: Workhouse Cottage Homes in connection with the parish of St. Leonard's, Shoreditch, London; location: Romford Road, Hornchurch, Essex
1913 Emigrated: Thomas aged 14 and Mae (G. May) Willis aged 7 by Annie MacPherson Homes, (Shoreditch Union). Departed Liverpool, England on 06 Aug 1913 aboard the SS Tunisian. Arrived Quebec, Canada on 14 Aug 1913. Transferred to the MacPherson Receiving/Distribution Home, 51 Avon Street, Stratford, Ontario, Canada
1916 Enlisted: 24 Jan 1916 at Kincardine, Ontario. Declared age 18½ [sic, 17½] single, farm labourer, 5' 4", 120 lbs, fair complexion, fair hair, Methodist, brown eyes, no distinguishing marks, no previous military experience. NoK: Alice Willis, mother, 78 Long Street, Union St. Hackney Road, Shoreditch, London [Note - sole support]. NoK: Violet Willis, (sister) Cottage Homes, Hornchurch, Essex. 22 Aug 1916 will written in favour of sister Violet - at 13 Lloyd Square, [Anglican Nuns] House of Retreat, London, England (no. 11 was a receiving home for Holborn workhouse children), the building is now a hostel for women
Rank/Unit: Private, 160th Bn. then 18th Bn. Canadian Infantry. Service No: 6511471
1916 Embarked: from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada on 17 Oct 1916, aboard the SS Metagama. Arrived 28 Oct 1916 in Liverpool, England. AWL, awarded 7 days FP no. 2
1917: 01 Mar 1917 Allocated pay commenced at C$15 per month to mother, Alice Willis. Forfeited 10 days pay May 1917.
To France: Private, 18th Bn. Canadian Infantry on 18 Mar 1918. Arrived with his unit on 15 May 1918
1918 Gassed: 27 Aug 1918 to 12th Stationary Hospital, St. Pol. 02 Sep 1918 discharged to duty.
1918 Dangerously wounded: 15 Sep 1918, Shell wound to chest and right arm, 42nd Casualty Clearing Station. 'Dangerously Wounded'. NoK address now Mrs Alice Willis, mother, 15 Cardigan Street, Shepperton Road, South Gate Road, Islington, London
1918 Death: aged 20, 17 Sep 1918. Died of wounds at CCS, Arras, France
Burial: Aubigny Communal Cemetery Extension, Pas de Calais, France Plot: IV. B. 37 CWGC Grave: T G Willis Findagrave # 56155238 Thomas George Willis
Allocated pay to NoK, mother, effectively stopped 01 Oct 1918.
Medals, scroll & plaque to sister Violet.
1926 BHC sister May Willis completed her indenture and asked to be taken to Stratford. She was on her own again.
BHC Sister Mae/May Willis Blom: married at 29 & had two daughters. Never saw her parents again. Knew she had a brother (would have been Thomas) who had travelled out to Canada with her, enlisted and was KIA WW1. Unable to get info about her family when she tried, in the 1950s
Sister: Violet Willis, last known of at Mount Vernon Hospital, Northwood, Middlesex, England
Credits: Photo in uniform: E Edwards of 18th Bn CEF blog, posted to Findagrave on 24 Mar 2018. Photo of headstone: Claude Laignel posted to Findagrave on 16 Mar 2024. Newspaper clipping: Mae Willis Blom was featured on 24 May 1995, in the Stratford Beacon Herald. Mae told her story to staff reporter, Diane Sewell. Article in Gallery.
Research: Penny Maj, Helen Richmond, HCCRG Volunteers Write-up: Helen Richmond
