Thomas Edward Holly / Holley
Thomas was born in 1879 in Kensington, London. His father Henry was a hydraulic machinist who worked for Great Western Railway.
Thomas was first employed by Great Western Railways at the age of 16 when he worked as an Engine Cleaner at Paddington station. He worked his way up to third class fireman by 1898 but resigned in 1904. The Railway record said he resigned ‘to better himself’.
Thomas married Katherine Jessie Farthing on Christmas Day 1910 in Kensington, London. When they were first married, they lived in one room at 26 Appleford Road, North Kensington. They separated by legal agreement in September 1911 two months before their son Edward Cassells Holley was born on 29th October 1911.
Thomas made an allowance of 7/6 per week for Katherine’s maintenance which he stopped in November 1912 as he later stated she had broken their agreement. According to Katherine, Thomas deserted her in 1911 and went to New Zealand. A detective was able to trace him. She said that by 1916 he was £80 in arrears of payments to her, and that he had never seen his son.
In 1916, Thomas returned to England and on enlisting was appointed to the Royal Engineers. At the time of enlisting, his occupation was a locomotive fireman. His unit was the Railway Operating Division. At the end of 1916 his wages were reduced by half and the difference paid to his wife after she wrote several times to the Regimental Paymaster at Chatham submitting documents proving Thomas’ financial neglect.
In 1917 Thomas was raised to ‘Very Superior’. This is the highest skill grade for an RE tradesman. The following year he was promoted to Sergeant. In April 1919 he was appointed Quartermaster Sergeant (QMS) and in August he was demobilised after 2 years and 300 days with the British Expeditionary Force. After the war, he returned to New Zealand and worked as a railway employee in Wanganui. By 1932 we find Thomas in Digger’s Camp, Newcastle working as an engine driver.
In the 1940s, Thomas was living in Auckland and working as a cleaner. He remained there during his retirement and died in 1958. He is buried in the Services section at Karori Cemetery. Note the spelling of his surname on the plaque differs to that in the war records.
Plot: Soldiers/B/4/43
By Julia Kennedy
