Rushden Research Group: Henry Thomas Packwood 1918

Private Henry Thomas Packwood

160187 72nd Field Company Royal Engineers

Son of Mr Thomas Henry & Mrs Sarah Packwood
Husband of Carrie

Aged 27 years

Died 15th December 1918

Commemorated at Tehran War Cemetery
Grave V. A.1.

Born at Little Horton NTH.

The Rushden Echo, 29th January, 1915, transcribed by Jim Hollis

German Smash Coming - Rushden Soldier’s Prophecy - “Towards The End of The War”
Co-Operative Employees Wages

Pte. Tom Packwood, an employee of the Rushden Co-operative Society Ltd., writes from the front as follows:-

“We are now having a better time as we are getting more troops here. We do not have to stay so long in the trenches as we did at first. The weather is very bad, with rain every day, and mud and water up to our knees, which is enough to kill horses. I don’t know how the Germans like trench work, but it is very trying for us. We have some good times along with the bad, but roll on the time when it is all over and the world is at peace again. Once the weather picks up I think there will be a big smash towards the end of the war.

“We get more rest now and are taken back to town for a few days and get paid out. Well, we make the best of our time. Things are very dear here, but I expect they are the same at home.

“We lie quite close to the Germans, as near as 50 yards sometimes, while in other cases the distance is 700 or 800 yards, so you can guess we need a good watch at night. I have not been out of sound of the guns since I have been here.”

At the quarterly meeting of the Rushden Co-operative Society on Tuesday Mr. Cure read to the members Pte. Packwood’s letter.

The Chairman said that the committee had kept in touch with Pte Packwood, and his fellow workers had been good enough to send him parcels of good things. (Applause).

It was resolved to send to Pte. Packwood from that meeting a letter expressing the good wishes of the members.

Mr. L. Perkins moved that in the case of employees going to the front, the Army pay be augmented from the Society’s funds to the amount of the wage that the employees had been receiving. He said he should not like to take any dividend if men whom they had formerly employed were in need. There would have been no dividend at all if Englishmen had not fought well for their country. (Hear, hear.) The co-operative movement professed to give an example of the model employer and he thought they ought at least to ensure their employees who might be at the front against want. (Applause).

Mr. W. H. Marriott moved as an amendment that the committee deal with cases on their merits. The amendment was carried.

Rushden Echo, 27th December 1918, transcribed by Kay Collins

Death in Mesopotamia—It is with deep regret that we record the death, which took place in Mesopotamia, of Sapper Thomas Henry Packwood, R.E., aged 29, husband of Mrs Packwood, of Corporation-street, Higham Ferrers, and elder son of Mr and Mrs T H Packwood, of 4, Denmark-road, Rushden. Sapper Packwood joined up nearly three years ago and had been with the Persian Gulf Expedition for over two years without a leave. Last October he was stricken with fever, from which he never recovered. The following is a copy of a telegram received this week from Chatham by his wife:-

“Regret to inform you Officer Commanding 3 Echelon, Basra, Persian Gulf, reports 160187 T H Packwood, R.E., died December 15th, relapsing fever.—Colonel i/c Records, R.E.”

Before he joined the Army, Mr Packwood had worked for some time with his uncle, Mr W Packwood, builder, Rushden, as painter and house decorator. His brother, Pte C Packwood, Royal West Surreys, is in training in England.

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