Thomas Frederick Westrope

WWI Roll of Honour

By Lynette Wray

Thomas Frederick Westrope

Military History:        

Regiment:                               Royal Air Force

Rank:                                      Air Mechanic

Regimental Number:              252992      

Date of Enlisting:                   13.3.1918

Date of death:                         29.3.1970

Cemetery/ Memorial:             

UK Cemetery/Memorial:       St Mary’s Church Ashwell Roll of Honour

Thomas enlisted on 13th March 1918 with the Royal Navy Air Service, Regimental Number 253130, and almost immediately transferred to the Royal Air Force, Regimental Number 242992, as an Air Mechanic on the seaplane carriers. The War was almost over when Thomas joined his first ship, HMS Vindictive, and stayed in home waters. On 8th May 1919 Thomas was aboard the HMS Pegasus when she was sent to Archangel to support operations against the Bolsheviks. Thomas was transferred to the Royal Air Force Reserve on 3rd January 1920.

Thomas survived the War and died on 29th March 1970.

Thomas was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

He is commemorated on the St Mary’s Church Ashwell Roll of Honour.

Family History:

Date of Birth:                12.10.1898

Birth Place:                   Ashwell, Hertfordshire

Residence:                    Letchworth, Hertfordshire

Marriage:                      2nd quarter 1930

Thomas was the third son of Richard Victor E and Martha (nee Hall) Westrope, born on 12th October 1898 at Ashwell, Hertfordshire. Thomas was a pupil at the Merchant Taylors School in Ashwell for primary education and then went to East Anglian School, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk as a boarder for secondary education.

Thomas held an apprenticeship with the Standard Motor Company for two years after leaving school and then trained as a mechanical engineer at the Polytechnic, Regent Street, London for three years. His military records state his occupation as fitter. He was registered with the Mechanical Engineering Institute for many years after the War. His brother’s will of 1948 records Thomas as a civil servant.

Thomas married Joyce Brockett at Steeple Morden, Hertfordshire in the 2nd quarter 1930.  They had two children, Jillian born 1931 and Frank born 1939.

Thomas died on 29th March 1970 at Letchworth, Hertfordshire.  

Thomas’s father owned and ran the Westrope’s Store, grocers and drapers,  in Ashwell for many years.

Thomas’s brother Charles Hall Westrope also served in the War and survived.

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