669396 L/Cpl. Thomas Speakman was born on March 13th, 1889, in Liverpool England.
The son of James and Elizabeth Speakman, of Liverpool, Thomas, a book binder by trade, was living in Sumach Street, Toronto, when he enlisted into the 83rd (Queen's Own Rifles) Battalion in Toronto on January 29th, 1916.
The 83rd BN supplied 241 men to the 4th CMR in early to mid 1916, and Thomas found himself in the field with the 4th CMR at Poperinge on July 29th, 1916, the day after the regiment's return from a rough time in the front line around the Sanctuary Wood, Maple Copse area that the regiment had been decimated in back in early June.
In early March, 1918, having been subject to gas shelling in support trenches on the Mericourt line around Canada Trench and The Railway Embankment, the regiment was pulled out for much needed and long overdue baths, before being sent the 4th CMR was sent back into the front line at Mericourt on March 14th. Sadly it was on this day that Thomas lost his life.
L/Cpl. Thoams Speakman was laid to rest in Thelus Military Cemetery, located near the village of Thelus, France.
Biography credit with thanks to Linda Heffernan.
Image supplied by Linda Heffernan, with source and credit to J Stephen 2010.