Strickland, Thomas
Rifleman
No. 19869, ‘B’ Company, 13th Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles
Died of wounds on Friday 16 February 1917 (aged 22)
Buried:
Bailleul Communal Cemetery Extension (Nord), France (Grave III. A. 125)
Commemorated:
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Comber and District War Memorial
BIOGRAPHY
Thomas Strickland was born on 1 May 1895 in Bridge Street, Comber and he was a son of Thomas and Jane Strickland (nee Gilliland) who were married on 17 September 1877 in Granshaw Presbyterian Church.
The Strickland family lived at 7 Bridge Street, Comber.
Thomas Strickland Senior was a butcher and after he died Jane worked as a reeler in Andrew’s mill.
Thomas and Jane had at least seven children:
Eliza (born 24 December 1878 in High Street, Comber)
Robert Gilliland (born 25 July 1880 in High Street, Comber)
Ellen (born 29 January 1882 in High Street, Comber)
Jane (born 2 July 1883 in Bridge Street, Comber)
Sarah (born 11 May 1885 in Bridge Street, Comber)
Mary (born 27 December 1886 in Bridge Street, Comber)
Agnes (born 27 April 1888 in Bridge Street, Comber)
Robert (born 11 November 1890 in Bridge Street, Comber)
Charlotte (born 3 July 1892 in Bridge Street, Comber)
Thomas (born 1 May 1895 in Bridge Street, Comber)
John Kennedy Hamilton (born 17 May 1898 in Bridge Street, Comber)
Their father Thomas died of stomach cancer in Bridge Street, Comber on 13 January 1909 (aged 55).
Prior to the outbreak of the Great War Thomas Strickland worked as a post-boy. He enlisted in Comber, served with the 13th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles in 108th Brigade of the 36th (Ulster) Division and was severely wounded on 14 February 1917.
Rifleman Thomas Strickland (No. 19869) died two days later and was buried in Bailleul Communal Cemetery Extension (Nord), France. There is an inscription on his CWGC headstone:
HE DIED TO SAVE OTHERS
At the time of his death his sister, Mrs Sarah Burgess, was living in the townland of Carnasure, Comber.
Rifleman Thomas Strickland (No. 19869) is commemorated on Comber and District War Memorial.