My name is Thomas Lacey and I was born in 1879 in Penn in Buckinghamshire. I was the son of Reuben and Caroline nee Howlett. In 1881 my family were living in Penn and my mother Caroline was a widow as my father Reuben died aged at only 32yrs on 27th January 1880. I was just a year old and so didn't know my father at all. My older siblings who were living with us at that time were Edward, Sarah and Emma but I also had a brother Henry who was listed as a general labourer on the 1891 Census.
I first enlisted, for 6 years, with the Oxford Light Infantry in 1895 aged 17yrs 10mths. I was 5’6” tall with grey eyes and light brown hair. My service number was 2519. I was discharged and later I re-enlisted with the Militia from 1905 until 1909 (see below). I presented as a 26yr old labourer living at Flackwell Heath. By 29th April 1905 I had qualified for the rank of Sergeant.
I married Ada Winifred Roberts in 1906. In 1911 we were living at Flackwell Heath and I was “a labourer in gardening”. My widowed mother Caroline was living with us. We had three children, Thomas, William and James, the latter two being twins.
The details from my service record are as follows:
31/1/1895 Militia 2519 Oxford Light Infantry 3rd Battalion. Only 49 days recorded in 1895.
24/1/1905 Militia or reserve Division of the Militia 3893 3rd Battalion. 41 days in 1901, 27days in 1906. 41days in 1907. Discharged time expired 23/1/1909.
04/1/1915 Territorial Force 2164 enlisted for the duration of the War. Discharged 04/6/1915 (see below) Medical reason for discharge given when chest expansion only half an inch from 33 to 33.5 inches on 01/6/1915.
I had re-enlisted in 1914 with the 1/8th Hants Regiment but was discharged on 4th June 1915 due to ill health. My pension record shows that I was a patient in June 1915 and was “suffering from malignant disease of the liver, is jaundiced and emaciated”. My death was announced in the Bucks Free press. I died on 23rd June 1915 in Wycombe Cottage hospital. My address was given as 43, Gordon Road, High Wycombe. I had been a market gardener employed for some time by a Mr Clifford of Bourne End. I was buried in High Wycombe Cemetery in an unmarked public grave in June 1915. As I had been discharged from the Army I was not given a CWGC headstone but my name was added to the Flackwell Heath War Memorial. I was survived by my widow Ada and my three children.
Researched by Ruth Bowler, Flackwell Local Area History Group
