Biography of Private Thomas Walter Lynn (43645)
1st/5th Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment
Died 28th September 1918

• Name: Mary Bates
• DOB: 1856
• Place Of Birth: Aslackby, Lincolnshire, England
• Marriage: 1894 Bourne District

• Thomas’s brother William Stanley also fought and was killed in WW1. Thomas can be found on our page dedicated to the Edenham War Memorial.

• No marriage for Thomas has been found and because of his age we can assume that he never had the opportunity to marry.

Newspaper Mentions

• Grantham Journal Saturday 9th November 1918
  EDENHAM
  MISSING – Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Lynn have received official notice that their son, Pte. Walter Lynn (South Staffordshire Regiment), has been posted missing since September 28th.  Mr. and Mrs. Lynn lost their second son in January, and the sympathy of all goes out to them in their bereavement.

• Grantham Journal Saturday 20th September 1919
  EDENHAM
  PRESUMED DEAD – News of Pte Thomas Walter Lynn, South Staffs. Regiment, youngest son of Mr and Mrs Thomas Lynn, has just come from Record Office at Litchfield saying the authorities are “regretfully constrained to conclude that he is dead, and that his death took place on 28th Sept 1918.” The deceased has been missing for nearly a year and the only information received by his parents was a letter from his office, who wrote he was told Pte. Lynn was killed on the date named, that he had fulfilled his duties as a soldier faithfully and devotedly, and expressed his deepest sympathy with the bereaved parents and family. All in the parish deeply regret the loss and express their great sympathy with Mr and Mrs Lynn, this being the second son they have lost in the war.

• Grantham Journal Saturday 31st January 1920
  IN MEMORIAM
  LYNN – In loving memory of our two dear boys, William Stanley Lynn, who died February 2nd 1918 and Thomas Walter Lynn, who was reported missing on September 28th 1918 and since presumed dead, somewhere in France.
  Ever in our thoughts
  From their loving
  MOTHER, FATHER, SISTER and BROTHERS (Edenham)

Military Records

Medals

• The British Medal
• The Victory Medal

Memorials

• UK:
• Edenham, Roll of Honour in Edenham St Michael and all Angels Church
• Edenham Churchyard, On his brother William‘s stone.

• Commonwealth War Graves Commission:
• In memory of Private Walter Thomas Lynn, 43645, 1st/5th Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment who died on 28 September 1918 Age 19
• Son of Thomas and Mary Lynn of Edenham, Bourne, Lincolnshire
• Remembered with honour, Vis-En-Artois Memorial
• Panel 6 and 7.

© Picture taken by South Lincolnshire War Memorials

© Picture taken by South Lincolnshire War Memorials

• Enlisted in Grantham

• This is ongoing research and will be posted when completed

Sources

• WW1 Soldier’s Records (www.ancestry.co.uk)
• British Newspaper Archive.
• Fold 3
• Find My Past
• Genealogist
• Forces War Records
• British Army Service Numbers
• War Gratuity Calculator
• Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• National Archives – Battalion War Diaries
• General Registry Office