Muckle, Thomas Paterson (Tommy)

Corporal

No. 633896, 211 Squadron, Royal Air Force

Died in a Prisoner-of-War Camp on Monday 9 October 1944 (aged 23)

Buried at sea

Commemorated:

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Singapore Memorial, Singapore (Column 437)

Donaghadee and District War Memorial

Shore Street Presbyterian Church, Donaghadee

Family grave headstone in Ballyvester Cemetery, Donaghadee

BIOGRAPHY

Thomas Paterson (Tommy) Muckle was the youngest son of John and Margaret Anna (Maggie) Muckle (nee Small) of Portavo, Donaghadee.  They were married on 8 April 1901 in Ballygrainey Presbyterian Church.  John Muckle from Millisle was a son of William Muckle, a labourer.  Maggie Small from Portavo was a daughter of John Small, a farmer.

John Muckle worked as an agricultural labourer and he and Maggie had at least twelve children:

John Small (born 27 October 1901 in Portavo)

David (born 8 December 1902 in Portavo)

Mary Small (born 21 April 1904 in Portavo)

Elizabeth (Lizzie, born 10 June 1905 in Portavo; died of whooping cough 13 July 1910)

Margaret (born 17 September 1906 in Portavo)

Jane (born around 1907/1908)

Sarah Angus (born 5 June 1909 in Lower Balloo; married Ivan Reddick 26 December 1934)

Annie (born 10 May 1911)

Wilhelmina

Robert Cree

James (born 11 December 1917)

Thomas Paterson (Tommy, born around 1920/1921)

Before joining the Royal Air Force, Tommy Muckle was employed as a butcher by Edmund Mills in Windmill Road, Bangor.  Tommy Muckle was a well-known amateur boxer, and it was reported that he was a brother-in-law of Ivan Ruddock (or Reddick) of Croft Street, Bangor.

In the 21 August 1943 edition of the County Down Spectator it was reported that Tommy Muckle was being held prisoner by the Japanese.  He had been missing in Java since March 1942.  Then, in the 15 December edition of the County Down Spectator it was reported that Tommy had died in a Japanese Prisoner-of-War camp in Java.

Newspaper notices contained the texts:

Gone from our home but not our hearts

No morning dawns but we remember

Corporal Thomas Paterson Muckle (No. 633896) was 23 when he died of bacillary dysentery, and he is commemorated on the Singapore Memorial; on Donaghadee and District War Memorial; in Shore Street Presbyterian Church, Donaghadee and on the family grave headstone in Ballyvester Cemetery, Donaghadee.

His father John died on 2 August 1953 (aged 81); his mother Margaret Anna died on 31 January 1957 (aged 78); his eldest brother John died on 1 March 1970; his sister Jane died on 4 October 1973; his brother Robert died on 21 April 1988 and his sister Mary died on 26 May 1988.