Thomas John Easter

A Sapper with 412 Field Company. Thomas died on 21st of May 1918 at the age of 31. 

Thomas was born at Kirkley on 26 August 1886, a son of William Norton and Caroline Easter. He was baptised at Saint Peter's Church, Kirkley, on 28 September 1886 and his family lived at 7 Southwell Road. By 1901 they were living at 13 Southwell Road and Thomas was an apprentice bricklayer. In 1911 they were still, living at 13 Southwell Road and Thomas worked as a bricklayer. Later his mother lived at 15 Southwell Road. 

On 6 September 1911 Thomas married Alice Louisa Goldspink at All Saints' Church, Pakefield. Thomas was a bricklayer, living at Kirkley, and Alice lived at Pakefield. They lived at Blaston House, Walmer Road, Lowestoft.

Thomas was working as a bricklayer when enlisted in the Army at Lowestoft on 11 December 1915, but was not called up until 2 June 1916, when he joined the Royal Engineers, service number 177104. He was posted to the 4/2nd Lowland Field Company, with service number 4847 and was posted to Egypt on 14 March 1917. In 1917 he was renumbered as 414737. In April 1917 he was posted to 412 Field Company and on 17 April 1918 arrived in France. 

Thomas was admitted to No 2 General Hospital and had an appendectomy operation on 28 April 1918. He was transferred to England and, on 12 May 1918, he was admitted to the War Hospital, Keighley. 

Initially he seemed to be making a good recovery but on 20 May severe pain and began vomiting. During 21 May the medical staff began to realise that Thomas had an acute intestinal obstruction, but he was not well enough to undergo an operation. Thomas collapsed and, at 10.30 p.m., died from shock. A post-mortem showed that he had a gangrene of the caecum causing a blockage in the retrocaecal region and he died from complications and shock following on from surgery. 

Thomas' father died in 1914 in the loss of the trawler Speculator.