Pte 50273 Thomas Sculley

• Age: 35
• From: Blackburn
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 20th Btn
• K.I.A Thursday 2nd August 1917
• Commemorated at: Menin Gate Memorial
  Panel Ref: Panel 4 & 6

Thomas Sculley was born in 1882 at Blackburn and was the son of Richard Sculley and his wife Priscilla (nee Knowles). His parents married in 1867.

The 1901 Census shows the family living at William Hopwood Street, Blackburn. His father, Richard, is aged 47, born 1844 in Ireland and employesd as a cotton carder, whilst his mother,  Priscilla, is aged 47, born 1844 in Blackburn with no occupation listed  They have been married for thirty three years and had eleven children of which four had sadly died.THose listed on the Census were; Mary Ellen aged 22, born 1869, Priscilla aged 21, 1870, Louisa aged 14, born 1877, Annie aged 12, born 1879 and Peter aged 10, born 1881 are all employed as cotton weavers, Thomas aged 8, and Joseph aged 6, are both scholars.

His father died in the September quarter of 1910 aged 66.

By the time of the 1911 Census the mother Priscilla is a widow aged 66 and is a domestic housekeeper, Louisa and Thomas  both cotton weavers are they only children living with her at 74 Cumberland St Blackburn.

His mother died shortly after the Census in the December quarter of 1911 aged 66. 

He married Ellen Green at St Stephen's Church, Blackburn. THere do not appear to be any children born of the marriage. 

Thomas was conscripted in Blackburn and served originally as Private 37998 in the East Lancashire Regiment.

A small draft of East Lancashire Regiment soldiers who conscripted in March 1917 and "graduated" into the East Lancashire Regiment but did not serve overseas with that unit. The 15 recruits, all of similar background (East Lancashire Regimental numbers, age and geography) appear on an alpha-numeric list created at 30 IBD, Etaples in June 1917 where they received new numbers. Those with surnames A-L (became 50224-50258) and went to 17th Battalion King's (Liverpool Regiment) and those with surnames M-Z (became 50259-50293) and went to 20th Battalion King's (Liverpool Regiment).

Thomas was serving in the 20th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 50273 when he was killed in action on the 02nd August, 1917 aged 35 during the Third Battle of Ypres.

The 20th Battalion diary gives details of the circumstances that the Battalion found themselves in during the early phases of the 3rd Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele). Having taken part in the initial fighting of 31st July 1917 there is a general write up in relation to the period 01st -08th August and specifics solely from the 03rd August. As such it is impossible to say exactly how each of the men who fell on 01st or 2nd August met their death.

20^th Battalion Diary 01^st August – 08^th August

The Battalion continued to hold the position taken up on the morning of 31^st July. After the first day the weather was very wet and the going very difficult, but the men’s spirits remained wonderfully good. From time to time there was very heavy enemy shelling and in addition to this machine guns and snipers were very active. The work of communication was extremely difficult and the wires to Companies and to Battalions on our flanks were repeatedly cut and were only kept going by most excellent work by our linesmen, who suffered very heavy casualties as also did the runners.  

Thomas has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial, at Ypres in Belgium.

The site of the Menin Gate was chosen because of the hundreds of thousands of men who passed through it on their way to the battlefields. It commemorates casualties from the forces of Australia, Canada, India, South Africa and United Kingdom who died in the Salient. In the case of United Kingdom casualties, only those prior 16 August 1917 (with some exceptions). United Kingdom and New Zealand servicemen who died after that date are named on the memorial at Tyne Cot, a site which marks the furthest point reached by Commonwealth forces in Belgium until nearly the end of the war. New Zealand casualties that died prior to 16 August 1917 are commemorated on memorials at Buttes New British Cemetery and Messines Ridge British Cemetery.

The YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL now bears the names of more than 54,000 officers and men whose graves are not known. The memorial, designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield with sculpture by Sir William Reid-Dick, was unveiled by Lord Plumer on 24 July 1927.

Soldiers Effects and Pension to widow Ellen.

He is also commemorated on the Blackburn Roll of Honour.

We currently have no further information on Thomas Sculley, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.