Thomas Whitham

He attacked a gun alone and brought its crew back prisoners.

Thomas Whitham was born at Worsthorne near Burnley on 11 May 1888. A bricklayer and builder, he married Fedora Bennett in 1909. He joined the Coldstream Guards in January 1915 and reached France that October.

Near Pilkem on 31 July 1917, Whitham saw a machine gun holding up the advance. Working forward alone, he attacked the position and captured the gun and its crew. He received the Victoria Cross and returned to Burnley for a civic reception that autumn.

Promoted lance corporal in 1918, he was demobilised in March 1919 and resumed building work, eventually moving to Cumberland. Unemployment and ill health affected his later years. After a cycling accident and a period reported as memory loss, he was traced to Liverpool. He died in Oldham Royal Infirmary on 22 October 1924 and was buried at Wheatley Lane.

Official Victoria Cross citation (London Gazette, 6 September 1917):

For most conspicuous bravery when, during an attack, an enemy machine gun was seen to be enfilading the battalion on the right. Pte. Witham, on his own initiative, immediately worked his way from shell-hole to shell-hole through our own barrage, rushed the machine gun, and, although under a very heavy fire, captured it, together with an officer and two other ranks. The bold action on the part of Pte. Witham was of great assistance to the battalion on the right, and undoubtedly saved many lives and enabled the whole line to advance.