Thomas Weeding
Thomas Weeding was born in New Malden Surrey, the son of Thomas & Alice Weeding of Kingthorpe, Addlestone and the brother of John R B Weeding who is also named on this memorial. Thomas was educated at Marlborough Colledge and entered Sandhurst in 1897, receiving his commission in 1899 and rising to the rank of Major with the 1st Btn Queens Royal West Surrey Rgt (QRWS). Thomas was a Freemason and a member of two lodges, Studholme Lodge, number 1519 and Old Marlburian Lodge, number 3533.
Before the outbreak of war in 1914, Thomas had seen service in India, Bermuda and South Africa. At the start of the great war, in August 1914 Thomas and the 1st Btn QRWS were at Borden Camp as part of the 3rd Brigade, 1st Division but in November they were transfered to I Corps. In July 1915, they became part of the 2nd Division of the 5th Brigade and took part in the Battle of Loos ("The Big Push") in North East France, which was the first time that the British Army used gas as a weapon. By the end of December 1915 another unit transfer saw the 1st Bn QRWS(with Thomas) transfered to 100th Brigade, 33rd Division. This transfer took Thomas to the Somme in the summer of 1916 and then to the batttle of Passchendaele in 1917.
Thomas died on 26th August 1917, aged 38, and is buried in Coxyde Military Cemetery, which was approximately 7 miles behind the front line, south of Nieuport, Belgium.