Birney, Thomas. | Universities at War

Personal details

Northumberland Fusiliers - image kindly provided by Wartime Memories Project

Name on Memorial:

Birney, Thomas.

Forename(s):

Thomas

Surname:

Birney

Date of Death:

Monday, May 27, 1918

Age at Death:

University life

College:

Armstrong College, Newcastle upon Tyne

Staff or Student:

Student

Military Service

The information displayed here is at the time of death.

Service Number:

30/292

Rank:

Sergeant

Service:

Army

Unit:

Northumberland Fusiliers, 1st/5th Battalion

Prisoner of War:

Theatre of War:

France and Flanders

Biography

Thomas was born in 1890. He was the youngest son of Peter and Elizabeth Birney who lived at 23 Rowlandson Terrace, Felling, Gateshead. Thomas had two older brothers, James Owen, born around 1884, and Pete, born around 1886.

Thomas joined the Northumberland Fusiliers, 1st Battalion, and attained the rank of Sergeant. Thomas was killed in action on 27th May 1918 aged 27 on the first day of the Battle of Aisne.

Addresses before and during the war

10 Cleaveland Place, Westoe, South Shields (place of residence as entered in the 1891 Census)

7 Rowlandson Terrace, Felling (place of residence as entered in the 1911 Census)

Place of Burial or Battle Site Memorial

Thomas is buried at the La Ville-Aux-Bois British Cemetery in the Aisne region of France.

Memorials

Additional images

Research information

Sources:

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

The War Graves Photographic Project

Newcastle University Archives (The University of Durham Roll of Service 1914 – 1919, Durham University Gazette, Vol II, 1912-1929)

UK Census Records (National Archives, available via Ancestry.co.uk)

WWI Service Records 1914 - 1920 (National Archives, available via Ancestry.co.uk)

Researched by:

Sophie Anderton

Holly Johnson

Benjamin Howson

Rosie Setford