Person

Born in Brandon on 28 November 1894, and baptised in Belmont two years later, Thomas was the third of the six children born to Cornsay man John William Willey, a farm worker, and his Belmont-born wife, Ellen. By 1901 father John was the farm bailiff at Home Farm, Crathorne, North Yorkshire and, in 1911, Thomas arrived in Canada to join his older brother, John, in Winnipeg. They were joined there by their parents and younger siblings within the year. Finding work as a teamster with a local coal company, and still living with his parents, on 24 April 1916 twenty-one-year-old Thomas enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) in Winnipeg and became Private 288480 of the 221st Battalion.

At the beginning of 1917, unable to cope with full physical training due to variocele [enlarged veins in the scrotum], he was classified as category B2 by a Medical Board and transferred to the Independent Forestry Company for six weeks. Then, in April, he was posted to the Canadian Army Service Corps (CASC) training depot in Winnipeg and appointed acting corporal. In June he was assigned to the 12th Reinforcing Draft and sailed with them on board the SS Justicia to Liverpool. On arrival on 4 July he was posted to the CASC training depot at Shorncliffe.

August saw him revert to the rank of private on being transferred to the 18th Reserve Battalion based at Dibgate, and being classed as A2, just requiring training. In November he was posted to the 52nd (New Ontario) Battalion, part of the 9th Infantry Brigade, 3rd Canadian Division and proceeded to France. Initially attached to the Canadian Corps Reinforcement Camp. Thomas joined his new battalion on 22 December 1917 at Noeux-les-Mines.

On 23 October 1918, whilst on duty on the forward transport lines near Raimes, Belgium, he was wounded in the head, right arm and left thigh. Thomas was evacuated to 57th Casualty Clearing Station and then the 1st South African Hospital at Abbeville. On 12 November he was invalided to England on board the hospital ship Jan Breydel and admitted to Colchester Military Hospital. Transferred to Woodcote Park convalescent hospital at Epsom at the end of January, two weeks later he was transferred to hospital in Taplow as his wounds were not healing as they should.

Classified as Category D by a Medical Board at Taplow in April, it was recommended that he be invalided to Canada, where on his return in June he was admitted to Tuxedo Park Military Hospital in Winnipeg. A Medical Board in July found that he had some atrophy in his left leg, which should improve with use, and he was discharged on 16 July 1919 as medically unfit due to wounds received, but with no further treatment necessary.

Returning to live with his parents and siblings (Ellen, his mother, died in 1920) he found work as a chauffeur and then worked for twelve years as a truck driver for the Good Roads Association. Thomas never married.

Thomas Willey died in Winnipeg General Hospital on 28 December 1942 and is buried in a military plot in Brookside Cemetery.

Civil Parish: Brandon and Byshottles

Birth date: 28-Nov-1894

Death date: 28-Dec-1942

Armed force/civilian: Army

Residence: Brandon (birthplace)
Home Farm, Crathorne, Yarm, Yorkshire (1901 census)
781 Pacific Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba (1916 census of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta)
700 Elgin Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba (1921 Canadian census)
480 Notre Dame Avenue, Winnipeg (1935 voters list)
607 Langside Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba (Winnipeg Free Press, obituary)

Religion: Church of England

Employment: teamster (enlistment papers)
Chauffeur (1921 Canadian census)
Truck driver (1935 voters list)

Family: Parents: John William Willey, Ellen Willey
Siblings: Henderson Willey, John Willey, Nora Willey, Arthur Willey, Margaret Willey

Military service:

Private 288480
221st Battalion Canadian Expeditionary Force
Canadian Forestry Corps
Canadian Army Service Corps
18th Reserve Battalion Canadian Expeditionary Force
52nd (New Ontario) Battalion Canadian Expeditionary Force

Medal(s): British War Medal
Victory Medal

Gender: Male

Contributed by Jean Longstaff, Durham | Jim Busby, Canada