Thomas's Story.
Birkenhead News March 1915
BIRKENHEAD TEACHER KILLED.
Captain’s Tribute to his Gallantry
Great sympathy will be felt with Mr. and Mrs. G.W. McNaught of 15, Allcott Avenue, Tranmere, in the grief that has befallen them in the death of their son, Private Thomas McNaught, in the fighting line. Private McNaught was a teacher in the Rock Ferry Council School, and he is the first of the thirty-odd Birkenhead teachers who enlisted after the outbreak of the war, to fall in the defence of his country. The news of his death has come with painful suddenness to his family, whose only consolation is that he died gallantly doing his duty. On Sunday last they received a postcard from him saying he was well and getting on all right. On Wednesday morning Mr. McNaught received the following letter from the Captain of his company – the Y Company, 10th Liverpool Scottish.
British Expeditionary Forces
14th March 1915
Dear Sir, It is with the very deepest regret that I have to inform you of the death of your son Private T McNaught, a member of my company, which occurred on March 12th in the firing line trench. He was shot in the neck while running along the trench with bandages for a wounded comrade, and I fear his thought for his friend made him forget any risk he might be running on his own account. He was unconscious at once, and died almost immediately without any pain. The same night he was buried near Lillebeck by the side of several comrades in this battalion.
On behalf of the officers, N.C.O.’s and men of his company. I write this short line to express our sympathy with you and yours at your irreparable loss, and also to tell you how greatly we feel the loss of a gallant comrade and a good soldier.
Your only consolation can be that your son willingly gave his life for his country in these arduous times, and that he died a hero’s death while trying to assist a wounded friend. He was a man we were all proud to know, and all his relations and friends will also remember his splendid record.
Believe me, with deepest sympathy,
(Signed ) G. R. L Roe, Capt.
O.C, Y Company.
Private McNaught went out to the front in January, after four months’ training in England. He was 23 years of age. He was educated at the Higher Elementary School, Conway Street and Birkenhead Institute, and intending to take up teaching as a profession, he went though his college course at the Borough Road College, London. He had been a teacher for two years. He was a very popular young officer, and was well known in football circles, having formerly plated for St. Mark’s F.C., then in the Tranmere Rovers second eleven, and afterwards for the Hoylake F.C. While the Scottish were stationed at Blackpool young McNaught showed his pluck by stopping a runaway horse on the promenade.
Mr. G. W. McNaught the deceased’s father, who is in the Civil Service (the Board of Trade department, Liverpool) is a well-known member of the Gladstone Liberal Club.