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.
Commentary:
Name: |
Thomas Frederick Westrope |
Birth Place: |
Ashwell, Hertfordshire |
Residence: |
Letchworth, Hertfordshire |
Death Date: |
29.3.1970 |
Enlistment Place: |
Not known |
Rank: |
Air Mechanic |
Regiment: |
Royal Air Force (previously Royal Navy Air Service) |
Battalion: |
E Section |
Regimental Number: |
252992 (previously 253130) |
Type of Casualty: |
Survived |
Theatre of War: |
English Waters |
This page was added on 06/09/2017.