Born in 1885 at Dover, son of Joseph Samuel (Army Sergeant serving with Medical Staff at Hythe District School of Musketry) and Rebecca Ball. 1891: With his family at the School of Musketry. 1901: With his mother noted as Head of the Household, he was an Office Boy living at 1 Victoria Grove Cottages, Hythe. In 1910 at Rathdown Co. Dublin he married Dorcas Maud Marguerite Wilkinson from Dungannon. 1911: He was serving in India as the Lt. Colonels Sergeant Clerk with 6 Brigade Royal Field Artillery, and was accompanied by Dorcas on this posting. His mother was renting a room at 29 Talgarth Road, West Kensington.
Although 6 Brigade RFA remained in India throughout the First World War, Thomas Ball was granted a Commission and found himself serving for three years in France, latterly with 25 Divisional Ammunition Column. In all he would complete 15 years in the Army.
It was recorded that he was twice gassed and possibly as a result of that he died in St Thomas’s Nursing Home in Lambeth after a long illness leaving Dorcas with two young children. His wife later returned to Belfast, where the contact address on his medal card is C/O her mother at 277 Connsbrock Avenue.
His name appears on the Holy Trinity Church Roll of Honour. That said, there is no evidence that he ever lived in Woodford, but his mother (who probably nominated him) did live in Oakdale Road.
Research by Adrian Lee, Local Historian
Sources:
Ancestry.com
Find my Past.co.uk
Woodford Times