The original information about Thomas G Crotty came from the Myrtle Street Asylum memorial records. The application form for this war memorial gives the following information:
Name in full: Thomas Groome Crotty
home address: 2 Russell Road, Smithdown Rd, Liverpool.
Date of enlistment: 31st May 1916
Regiment and rank: Corporal, 1/5th South Lancashire Regiment.
Brief notes of battles etc:
Givenchy, Festubert, La Bassee. During the great German offensive of April 9th 1918. Wounded 10th April 1918.
Date of discharge February 3rd, 1919
The form was filled in on 1st March 1919 and signed by J.G. Crotty of 2 Russell Rd.
Further research shows that Thomas Groome Crotty was born on 14th Jan 1885 in Liverpool. He was baptized in St Catherine's Church, West Derby on 15th July 1885. His parents were Francis and Alice Brown Crotty of 76 Squire Street. His father's occupation was Lathe Cleaver.
Records show that Alice Brown Crotty and Francis Crotty both died in 1889 and were buried in Toxteth Park Cemetery, Alice in July and Francis in August. Two years later, the 1891 census shows Thomas, aged just 6, was an inmate of the Liverpool District 3 Orphan Asylum. (Myrtle Street Orphanage).
Upon leaving the orphanage, Thomas was employed as a mercantile clerk and the 1901 census shows that aged 16, he was living at 25 Clint Road, Liverpool, at the house of 67-year-old widow Lydia Wykes who was listed as his half-cousin.
12th April 1909 Thomas Groome Crotty was married to Elizabeth Evelyn Simpson. They were both 24 years old and previously unmarried. Thomas's occupation was 'clerk' and his address was 25 Clint Road, his father Francis Crotty was deceased and his occupation had been Lathe Cleaver. Elizabeth lived at 119 Royston Street and her father, William Simpson, was a car driver.
At the time of the 1911 census, Thomas Groome Crotty was 26 years old and living with his wife at the home of her parents, the census records that Thomas was employed as a shipping clerk for an export beer bottlers firm. Sadly the census shows that they had one child who was deceased.
Elizabeth's parents were William aged 64 and a cab driver, and Jane aged 65, their address was 17 Cantsfield Street, Liverpool.
We know that Thomas Groome Crotty served in the first world war. He enlisted in May 1916 which was after conscription started. He served with the South Lancashire Regiment with the regimental number 32529. Thomas Crotty was promoted from private to corporal during the time he served in France. The information on the memorial application gives more information about his movements and his injury than we would otherwise know as his service records have not survived.
In the memorial application, Thomas recorded he was injured on 10th April during the 'great German offensive' the battalion war diary shows that the German's maintained a prolonged attack on his battalion with barrage and frequent shelling from 9th to 16th April.
The report from one company states that for much of this time they were "in a trench where they were without shelter, even from the weather, under almost constant shellfire, often unable to get their meals or food of any sort for considerable periods." The work of the stretcher-bearers was praised several times, indicating they had heavy casualties.
The diary records that the German barrage became so intense the band, pioneers, and concert party were sent up to reinforce them and did duty in the trenches.
The following is the entry for the day Thomas was injured:
10/4/1918 Boche attempted to surround Loisne Central held by C company and 1/10th King's Liverpool Regiment. A counter-attack arranged by Major Pilkington D.S.O. led to the capture of 21 prisoners and 2 machine guns, leaving many enemy dead. 2nd Lieutenant Symond who led his platoon was killed.
We don't know how badly Thomas was injured but it wasn't bad enough to prevent him from fighting and he remained with the battalion until after the war and was discharged in 1919. He received the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
The 1939 register shows that Thomas Groome Crotty was living at 3 Richmond Way, Heswall with his wife Elizabeth Evelyn. Records show that they had at least two more children; sons, born in 1917 and 1919.
The probate calendar shows that Thomas Groome Crotty, of 3 Richmond Way, Heswall, died on 25th January 1951 at Clatterbridge Hospital and he was survived by his widow.
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