Thomas Blackley

There were two births registered for Thomas Blackley -

• Births Jun 1880 BLACKLEY Thomas Preston 8e 613

Born 3rd May 1880 at 12 Gardner Street, Preston, Lancashire - the son of Joseph Blackley (Overlocker in Cotton Mill) and Mary Jane Blackley nee Parkinson. See Thomas Blakley (1880 - 29 Jul 1916) WW1 Casualty

• Births Mar 1881 BLACKLEY Thomas Preston 8e 607

Born 13 feb, 1881 at 11 Maynard Street, Preston, Lancashire - son of John Blackley, Brick Maker) and Isabella Blackley nee Blackburn

This Thomas Blackley was a deserter according to the following information taken from AngloBoerWar.com Forum - see the other at Thomas Blackley

Driver, Diamond Fields Artillery – Anglo Boer War

Private, 4th Dragoons (Cavalry) – WWI

Queens South Africa Medal with clasps Cape Colony, Orange Free State and Transvaal to DVR. T. BLACKLEY, DIAMOND FIELDS ARTY.

Deserter, thereby forfeiting any claim he had to medals he had earned.

Born in Liverpool in the County of Lancashire in 1882 the son of John Blackley, a General labourer and Brick maker by occupation and his wife Isabella;

(The only Births registered Jun 1881 for BLACKLEDGE Thomas Liverpool 8b 177)
ENGLAND BIRTHS AND CHRISTENINGS, 1538-1975
Indexing Project (Batch) Number C01729-6

• Name Thomas Blackley
  
• Gender Male
  
• Christening Date 05 Jul 1883
  
• Christening Place Emmanuel's, Preston, Lancashire, England
  
• Father's Name John Blackley
  
• Mother's Name Isabella
  
• System Origin England-EASy
  
• GS Film number 1471021
  
• Reference ID item 7 p 210
  

Baptised in Preston on July 5th of 1883 with his residential address provided as 11 Maynard Street, Preston.

1891 England census - lived at 4 Norris Street in Preston; Thomas, aged 10, with his parents and siblings Robert (19), John (17) and Jane (13).

Between 1891and the outbreak of the Anglo Boer War in October 1899 Blackley moved to South Africa.

Enlisted with the Diamond Fields Artillery on 14 August 1900 as a Driver and was assigned no. 248

He was most likely in a section of the Diamond Fields Artillery in the garrison of Boshoff who, from May 1900 to May 1901, held that town and repelled many attacks.

Blackley was awarded the Queens Medal with clasps Cape Colony, Orange Free State and Transvaal. He was also awarded the Kings Medal which was returned to the authorities.

In civilian life Blackley was a Motor Driver and returned to England from Cape Town, docking in London on 17 May 1914. He enlisted for service with the 4th Dragoons on 18 August 1914 at Newport in Monmouthshire, Wales.

He confirmed on his Short Service (for 3 years) Attestation form that he had previous service with the Diamond Fields Artillery and that he was a General Labourer by occupation. He lied about his age, claiming to be 29 years and 180 days old.

His height was 5 feet 3 inches, weight 118 pounds. He was assigned no. 9879 and the rank of Private. Moving from the Depot to the 4th Dragoons on 25 August Blackley embarked for war on 15 September 1914.

On 21 October 1914 he received a bullet wound to his left thigh and to his shoulder and was admitted to No. 10 Field Ambulance and transferred to first No. 11 General Hospital at Boulogne before being transferred to England for recovery aboard the “Carisbrooke Castle” on 2 November 1914.

After discharge he was scheduled to re-join his regiment for active service on 5 December 1914 but he deserted – a crime which carried severe punishment should the offender be found.

Some authorities had his force number as his old Boer War Number 248 whereas on his attestation he was Number 9879. His Regimental H.Q. at Canterbury wrote to the O.C Remounts Depot at Romsey in Hants.

“No. 248 is apparently the wrong number. Herewith documents of No. 9879 which appear to refer to the man in question, Private Thomas Blackley” - dated 27 May 1915.

On 18 June 1915 the O.C “C” Squadron of the 4th Dragoons wrote to the O.C. Remount Depot asking,

“Will you kindly state the date of absence of Pte. T. Blackley recently under your command and who did not return to strength on our detachment on 29 May 1915.

The reply on 21 June and read

“T. Blackley absented himself on the 25th May 1915 and has not since returned. He is now being declared a Deserter by Court of Enquiry.”

This Court of Enquiry, assembled at Tidworth had found him to be deficient in a number of articles both “Necessities” and “Personal Clothing”

On 15 June 1915 the matter had been addressed to Francis Caldwell, the Head Constable of Liverpool whose job it was to track him down. It was a full year before effect was given to request to track down Blackley - it became the task of Constable Walshe, no. 114 D, to find Blackley – he reported, on 14 June 1916, as follows,

Army enquiry re: Thomas Blackley

I beg to report that at 11 a.m. 9 June 1916 (a year after Blackley had made a run for it) I called at 15 Hankin Street and saw Mrs Redder, who stated that Thos. Blackley is her nephew but she has not seen him for the past two years and she does not know where he is at present residing.
I made enquiry in the District but was unable to trace this man. I will make further enquiries about him.”

Blackley had disappeared and over 100 years later no further evidence of him has been found.

Despite going through the horrors of the first few months of the war and being wounded in the process Blackley forfeited, by virtue of his desertion, any claim to medals he rightly earned. Having been deployed on 15 September 1914 he qualified for the 1914 “Mons” Star as well as the British War Medal and Victory Medal. Alongside each entry on the various rolls stands the words “No Medal” – Deserted.

Medal Index Cards

findmypast Transcription

• First name(s) Thomas
• Last name Blackley
• Service number 9879, D/9879
• Rank Private
• Corps 4th Dragoon Guards, 2nd Dragoon Guards
• Service record Soldier Number: 9879, Rank: Private, Corps: 4th Dragoon Guards
• Service record 2 Soldier Number: D/9879, Rank: Private, Corps: 2nd Dragoon Guards
• Archive reference WO372/2
• Archive reference description Campaign Medal Index Cards and Silver War Badge Cards
• Country Great Britain
• Image link http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=D1355391
• Record set World War One British Army medal index cards
• Category Armed forces & conflict
• Subcategory First World War

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