Thomas Edward Sharman

A Private with the 7th Battalion, Thomas died on 3rd of July 1916 at the age of 27. 

Thomas was born at Lowestoft in 1889, a son of Thomas Edward and Mary Jane Sharman. He was baptised at Saint Margaret’s Church, Lowestoft, on 26 May 1889. In 1891 his family lived at 104 Cambridge Road and this was still their home in 1901. Later his parents lived at 84 Park Road. 

On 19 March 1911 Thomas married Florence Jane Storey at Saint Margaret’s Church, Lowestoft. Thomas was a plumber living at 84 Park Road and Florence lived at Battery Green. In 1911 they lived at 1 Park Holm Terrace, High Street, and later Florence lived at 3 Park Holm Terrace.

Thomas volunteered to join the Army. He enlisted at Lowestoft and joined the Suffolk Regiment, service number 14462. He was posted to the 9th Battalion and landed in France with the Battalion on 31 August 1915. At some point he was posted to the 7th Battalion. 

On 3 July 1916 the 7th Battalion took part in a frontal attack on the village of Ovillers, in the Somme region of France. Although initially successful the attack faulted because, when in the village, German troops were able to infiltrate the successive lines of the British attack and inflicted heavy casualties. The 7th Battalion lost 21 officers, and 458 men, killed wounded or missing, but some of those missing did return to the battalion in the following days.

Thomas was among those killed in action on 3 July 1916.