Person

The following information has been supplied by Thomas’s grandson:

1893: Born 14 February in Kilwinning, Ayrshire in Scotland.

1911: At the age of 18 he is a coal miner in Tannochside, Scotland. This information is from the 1911 Scottish Census.

1914: He was in Chester-le-Street living at 7 Pine Street when he joined Kitchener’s Army on 24 August, 20 days after war was declared and 13 days after the first call for volunteers was made. Why he was now in Chester-le-Street is not known but as a miner it was common for movement between the North East and Scotland at that time to get the best wages. Thomas is named in the Chester le Street Chronicle of September 4 1914, attached below (see supporting material), and is the 22nd person in the first published list under the title of “Local Heroes obeying the Country’s call”. He was 21 years and 6 months old at the time.

It is interesting that his address at the time was 7 Pine Street because Thomas lived with his wife and his family next door at 9 Pine Street for a long time after the war.

Thomas’ war record was one of those that survived the blitz of the Second World War (approximately 60% were destroyed during the blitz). From these we know a large amount of information about Thomas and his service during the war.

Thomas was five foot seven and a half inches tall, weighed 154lbs, with a girth of 36.5 inches. He had a dark complexion, brown eyes and dark brown hair. He was a miner and single and he enlisted into the Royal Field Artillery (RFA). We assume that he chose the Royal Artillery due to his knowledge of explosives as he had been a shot blaster in the pit but we have no concrete evidence that was the reason. He attended Number One Depot RFA in Newcastle the very next day on 25 August to start his training.

He was then posted to a RFA battery shortly afterwards. Sometime in September they moved to Bourdon in Hampshire to continue their training. On 18 January 1915 he was posted to the then 53rd Brigade, part of the 9th Scottish Division, still at Bourdon, until 10 May 1915. After 269 days training they set off for France with the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) arriving in Biques on 13 May. After only three days in France the guns were in action at Bois Grenier.

On 1 June Thomas was promoted to “acting bombardier”. His battery were in regular action during this time shelling and coming under fire with only short periods of rest away from the front line action. This continued right through until December of that year when Thomas was wounded in action by a gunshot wound to the leg.

After initially being treated at a field dressing station he was moved to hospital in Etaples where he stayed for seven days before moving to “General Base” at Le Havre. At that time the 155th Brigade arrived at Le Havre and Thomas was now posted to that brigade as they moved to take their positions near Albert.

In April 1916 Thomas returned “home” on leave to marry Hannah Brooke on 3 April in Cleckheaton, Yorkshire. How he knew Hannah is still a mystery to this day but his leave was short lived as he was back with his battalion by 7 April.

He was promoted to bombardier on 5 May 1916 shortly before the battle of the Somme where they were involved in the heavy bombardment preceding and during the offensive on 1 July.

Thomas stayed with the 155th Brigade Howitzer battery right through until 15 July 1918 when as the “big push” commenced he was transferred to the Labour Corps, Unit 24 Prisoner of War Corps and promoted to sergeant.

He remained with the Labour Corps until returning to England on 19 November 1918, initially to Ripon then to be discharged to coal mining duties according to his army record.

He returned to Cleckheaton to be with Hannah. They had a son but shortly after his birth Hannah died in February 1921. Their son died in Germany in the Second World War whilst serving with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.

One year later we find Thomas back in Fatfield where he married my Grandmother, Lilly, in March 1922 who we believe he had known before the war started. After a short period of time living at Elizabethville in Birtley they moved to 9 Pine Street, Chester-le-Street, next door to where Thomas lived when he signed up for duty in 1914. He returned to work as a miner at Chester Moor Colliery.

Thomas received the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal, which I have in my possession. He died on 20 July 1964 in Chester le Street aged 71.

Civil Parish: Chester le Street

Birth date: 14-Feb-1893

Death date: 20-Jul-1964

Armed force/civilian: Army

Residence: Kilwinning, Ayrshire, Scotland (Birthplace)
Tannochside, Scotland (1911 Census)
7 Pine Street, Chester-le-street (Enlistment Papers)
9 Pine Street, Chester-le-street (1939 Register)

Religion: Church of England

Employment: Miner (1911 census, Enlistment Papers)
Colliery Stoneman (1939 Register)

Family: Father: Robert Pirrie (according to attestation papers – no other evidence found)
Wife: (1) Hannah Pirrie nee Brooke, married 1920 (2) Lillly Pirrie nee Rutherford, married 1922
Children: (1) Thomas Richard Pirrie, (2) Robert Pirrie, James Pirrie, Raymond Pirrie, Roslyn Pirrie

Military service:

Royal Field Artillery
53rd Brigade
155th Brigade
Bombardier
Service Number 33389
Unit 24 Prisoner of War Corps Labour Corps
Sergeant
Service Number 572860

Medal(s): 1914-15 Star
British War Medal
Victory Medal

Gender: Male

Contributed by Brian