Yorkshire & Lancashire Regiment 1st/5th Battalion, Service no. 204567
Killed in action 8th March 1918, aged 26
Story
Thomas was the son of Benjamin Appleyard and Louisa Colley, of Robinson Lane, Kippax. He was a Colliery Banksman, 5 foot 6½” tall, and was employed by Messrs. T & R W Bower, Bowers Allerton.
Yorkshire & Lancashire Regiment.
The Yorkshire & Lancashire Regiment raised 22 Battalions in total during the course of World War 1 and recruited approximately 57,000 men during these years, 72 out of every 100 men were either wounded or killed. Thomas was part of the 1st/5th Battalion Territorial Force. He enlisted in Kippax on 11th December 1915, and was in the Army Reserves until mobilised on 20th March 1917, and landed in France on 16th July 1917. On the 18th August 1917, Thomas was docked seven days’ pay for being absent for a medical inspection which had been scheduled for 10am. He was found in camp at 2pm.
From the date of Thomas’s death he could not have been involved in any major set piece action by the Regiment during 1918. He was killed near Polygon Wood east of Ypres. The likelihood is that he was involved in a ‘minor’ action with his regiment at the front.
Polygon Wood was completely devastated in World War 1 during hard fighting. The wood was taken, then lost twice and only finally taken by the 9th Scottish Division on 28th September 1918. Thomas’s mother acknowledged receipt of his possessions back from the army, which were mirrors, a testament, a purse, a trinket, photos, papers, cards, a wallet and a watch. He is buried at Polygon Wood Cemetery, Zonnebeke, West Vlaanddern, Belgium. Grave B 3.
Kippax Roll of Honour 