Thomas John Sheppard is presumed to have been killed in action on 12 October 1944. He was 22 years of age and was a Private in the 1st Battalion of the Suffolk Regiment (Service No. 6411760). He was initially buried at Armenhuizen in Vierlingsbeek and later re-interred in Grave III.C.I in the Overloon War Graves Cemetery on 19 May 1947.
 
No photo of Thomas John Sheppard has yet been found. Should anyone reading this have a photo of him or further information regarding him – or if they are aware of any errors in his biography below can they please contact the Foundation?
 
Thomas John Sheppard was the son Thomas John Sheppard and Annie Clay who had married in 1917 in the Stratford area of West Ham in London.
 
Annie Clay was born on 22 March 1887 in Mile End Old Town in London. In 1891 she was living at 67, Maplin Street, Mile End Old Town. There too was Harriet Clay, born 1886, also in Mile End Old Town. Unusually, two widowed women were both named as the head of the household. One was Sarah Stevens born 1830 in Herefordshire and the other was Mary Clay born 1852 in Bromley, London. Mary was working as a Laundress. Both Annie and Harriet were described as daughters of the head of the household, likely to have been Mary Clay. It is known that Annie’s father was George Clay, but it seems he had died by this time.
 
By 1901, Annie and Harriet were both boarding along with another widow, Sarah A. Clay, at 7, Bridge Street, Mile End Old Town, in the household of Arthur and Matilda Robinson. Sarah was born in 1856 in Mile End. She was working as a Laundress. Arthur Robinson was a General Labourer, born in Stepney in 1873 while Matilda was born in 1875 in Mile End. Harriet was working as a Servant. The relationship between Sarah Clay and the two girls is not known.
 
Annie initially married William Henry Sheppard in early 1907 in Bethnal Green.
 
William is understood to have been the younger brother of Thomas John Sheppard whom she eventually married in 1917 and that they were the sons of Thomas J. Sheppard and Emma E. Cash who had married in Bethnal Green in 1866. Thomas and Emma Sheppard had children as follows: Emma 1867, Caroline 1869, Sarah Elizabeth 1871 (all born in Bethnal Green), Thomas 23 September 1876, Henry Charles 1878, Eliza Annie 1881, Charles 1885 and William George 1886 (the last five born in Whitechapel). However, it is odd that this William is called William George Sheppard, yet Annie is said to have married William Henry Sheppard.
 
In 1871 Thomas (Snr) and Emma were living at Selby Street, Bethnal Green with their first child, Emma. Thomas was a Carman, born in Salisbury, Wiltshire in 1845 and Emma was born in Stepney in 1847. It isn’t known where the family were in 1881. However, in 1891, Thomas and Emma were living at Drivers Buildings, 11, Mile End Road, Mile End Old Town with their six youngest children. Thomas (Snr) was working as a Brewer’s Dray Man. Thomas (Jnr) was working as a messenger at the time while his elder sister, Sarah, was working as a domestic servant.
 
In 1901, widowed Brewer’s Drayman Thomas Sheppard was living as a boarder in the household of Alfred and Sarah Bellinger and their daughter at Blackwall Buildings, 87, Whitechapel, London. William Sheppard, born in Whitechapel in 1887, was also boarding there. It seems that Emma Sheppard had died. At this time, Thomas J. Sheppard was working as a Slater’s Labourer and boarding in the household of Thomas W. Bird and his wife and three children at 125, Old Church Road, Mile End Old Town. In 1911 he was again boarding, this time in the household of Edward Charles and Louisa Anne Oliver and their four children at 8 George Road, Chingford, Essex. Thomas John Sheppard was working as a Slater and Tiler, as was Edward Charles Oliver.
 
Following their marriage in early 1907, Annie and William Sheppard had their first child, William Charles Sheppard, on 10 June 1907 and he was baptised at Christ Church, Stratford. The family were living at 2 Livingstone Road, Stratford, West Ham at the time. William was working as a Carman. He had been born in Whitechapel in 1888. Annie and William appear to have had three more children as follows: Alfred Thomas in 16 October 1908, Arthur T. in 1911 and James Walter in 1913. Alfred was born in Mile End Old Town and the other two in West Ham.
 
By 1911 William and Annie were living at 65 Livingstone Road, Stratford, West Ham. Alfred and Arthur were present, but not their eldest son William. It isn’t known where he was at this time.
 
It is believed that Annie’s husband, William, died in WW1. She then married her brother-in-law, Thomas John Sheppard in Christ Church, Stratford on 23 December 1917 so that he could help her bring up her four sons. Annie’s address was once again given as 2 Livingstone Road. Thomas’ father’s name was given as Thomas John Sheppard who was a Dockman. Annie’s father was named as George Clay.
 
Annie and Thomas went on to have six more children together as follows: Annie Elizabeth 17 September 1919, Matilda Rosina 3 October 1920, Thomas John 12 August 1922, Henry C 8 June 1924, George R 24 March 1926, Leonard 8 April 1928. All the children were born in the Stratford area of West Ham.
 
In 1921, Thomas and Annie were still living at 2, Livingstone Road, Stratford, West Ham, where Annie had lived with William. Thomas was out of work but had been working as a Slater and Tiler for Ettridges Slate Merchants, Bethnal Green Road. Annie’s four sons from her first marriage were all present as were her first two children with Thomas.
 
In September 1939, Thomas (Snr) and Annie were still at the same address and Thomas was still a Slater and Tiler. Alfred from Annie’s first marriage was present – working as a General Highway Labourer. All but Matilda from her second marriage were also still at home, including Thomas (Jnr). Annie was working as a Scraper & Cleaner at a Skin works, Thomas as an Asphalt Worker and Henry as a General Labourer.
 
Three of the other children were living nearby at this time. William Charles Sheppard had married Ethel L. Cousins in 1931 in the West Ham district. They had ten children between 1935 and 1951, one of whom died at birth. In 1939 they were living as a separate household at 2 Livingstone Road, adjacent to Thomas and Annie Sheppard. William, like Thomas, was also working as an Asphalt worker. Their four youngest children were with them.
 
Matilda Rosina Sheppard was also living at 2 Livingstone Road, in yet another household – shown on the other side of Thomas and Annie to William and Ethel. She was still single and working as a Paper Bag Maker. Living there too was Harriet F. Wheatley, born 16 May 1886. She was widowed and was working as a domestic help. This was Annie Sheppard’s sister, Harriet Clay, who had married John T. Wheatley in 1915, but he had just died in 1939.

Arthur Sheppard was living on his own at 59 Livingstone Road. It was stated that he was married but his wife was not present, and the marriage was not found. He was working as an Asphalt Labourer, like William and Thomas. It isn’t certain where James Walter Sheppard was at this time.
 
The close proximity in which the family was still living suggests a very tight knit family.

Military career 

Thomas John Sheppard enlisted on 15 January 1942. He gave his address as 36 Stanley Road, Stratford, London E15 and his Mother, Annie Elizabeth Sheppard of the same address, as his next of kin. He was described as 5ft 6in tall, weighed 135 lbs, had brown eyes and fair hair. He had a scar on both forearms. His religion was given as Church of England.

Thomas was initially posted as a Private to the 6th Battalion of the Royal Sussex Regiment. He was transferred to the 9th Battalion of the Somerset Light Infantry on 20 June 1943 then to the King’s Shropshire Light Infantry on 5 September 1943. He was transferred to a holding list for reinforcements on 11 May 1944, then to the 11th Bn Durham Light Infantry on 2 July 1944. 

He was sent to North West Europe on 16 July 1944, arriving on 17 July, 11 days after D-Day.

The 11th Bn DLI was part of the 70th Brigade which landed with the 49th Infantry Division on 10 June. It seems that Thomas joined them a week later. The 11th Bn was initially committed to the attempt to outflank Caen. The 70th Brigade, including the 11th Battalion then helped capture Rauray in late June. They, alongside other battalions fought hard against the German counter attack. They fought around Tilley-Sur-Seulles on 7 July.

Later in the month the 70th Brigade was transferred to the east of Caen and covered the right flank of Operation Spring. Advancing to Mezidon on the River Dives after the German defeat at Falaise, the brigade fought its last action on 18 August, after which the brigade (as a second line formation) received news it was to be disbanded to reinforce other units of the Second Army.

As a result, Thomas was first transferred to the 2nd Bn East Yorkshire Regiment on 28 August 1944 but then to the 1stBn Suffolk Regiment just two days later.

They, too, had been fighting through Normandy, having landed on Sword beach on D-Day itself. They continued to progress through France, including severe battles which cost many lives at Chateau de la Londe and at Tinchebrai. By mid August the Battalion was in need of significant numbers of reinforcements which began to arrive. The Battalion reached La Chappelle au Moine on 20 August where the Battalion remained for two weeks while reorganisation and re-training were carried out. This is where Thomas will have joined the Battalion.

They crossed the Seine on 3 September and left France for good on 16 September. Their advance into Belgium began with the crossing of the Escaut Canal on 19 September, facing strong opposition, reaching Hamont the following day. From there, they pushed on into the Netherlands reaching Weert on 21 September where they remained until 27 September. They took part in action near De Rips where they remained until 30 September.
On that day, Thomas Sheppard forfeited 28 days pay for neglect of duty – though the nature of the incident is not known.

By this time, Operation Market Garden had failed to take the bridge at Arnhem. This left the Allies in a narrow salient through the Netherlands. The aim was now to clear the enemy back eastwards over the River Maas. First the Americans tried to do this but then the British took over in what was known as Operation Aintree.

The Battalion left De Rips and reached Molenhoek just below Nijmegen by 1 October. From there they swung round to the south, passing through Mook and Rijkevoort to approach occupied Overloon from the north. The attack on Overloon was delayed by heavy rain and very muddy conditions until noon on 12 October. The plan was that the 1st Suffolk Regiment would attack on the right while the  2nd Battalion of the East Yorkshire Regiment would proceed on the left. In that attack on that day one officer and 9 men of the 1st Battalion of the Suffolk Regiment were killed, including Thomas John Sheppard, and a further 2 officers and 55 men were wounded. Thomas was initially recorded as missing – but later presumed to have been killed in action. Overloon was successfully liberated on 14 October, but at a large cost in lives.

Thomas had served for a total of 2 years and 271 days, of which 118 days were in North West Europe.

He was awarded the 1939-45 Star, War medal 1939/45 and France & Germany Star.

Thomas’ father, Thomas J Sheppard, died in 1950 in West Ham. His mother died in 1965 in Wandsworth.

From FindMyPast website: Civil and Parish Birth, Marriage and Death Records; England Census and 1939 Register Records; Military Records, Electoral Rolls
Service Record for Thomas John Sheppard from the National Archives Ref WO 423/331516
Suffolk Regiment War Diary
Wikipedia for information on the Durham Light Infantry and Suffolk Regiments
Friends of the Suffolk Regiment website for information on the regiment
Assistance from Thomas’ niece, Gillian Sheppard Black.

Research Elaine Gathercole