Private THOMAS REDDING

According to census and military records, Thomas Redding was born in Odiham c1875.  In 1881 he was living in North Warnborough Street with his widowed father, James, aged 60, his sisters, Anne (26) and Jane (2) and his niece, Kate (10)[1].  In 1891 Thomas was still in North Warnborough, but living with his uncle and aunt, Frederick and Mary Reddings, their four sons and two daughters, one of whom, Emma (5), was to become his wife in 1906[2]. 

On 30 November 1892 Thomas enlisted in the Hampshire Regiment at Winchester for ‘short service’, a period of up to 12 years, the first seven or eight in Army Service and the remaining five or four in the First Class of the Army Reserve.  He was recorded as being just 18 years old, 5’ 4⅜” tall, weighing 111 lbs. and having a fresh complexion, grey eyes, brown hair and a scar on his left buttock.  He was allocated service number 3986 at this stage.    After two years Thomas was posted to India (10 December 1894), where he remained until February 1903.  His photo in Figure 5 dates from this period.  His next posting was to the Horn of Africa, initially to Arabia (3 February – 20 June 1903) and then to Somaliland (21 June 1903 to 22 June 1904)[3].                                                    

In 1901 Thomas had ‘extended his service to complete 12 years with the Colours’.  After Somaliland, he returned to Winchester and in November 1904 was posted to the 1^st Battalion The Hampshire Regiment at Portsmouth.   In 1906 he married Emma Reddings, whose father, Frederick Reddings of Priors Row, North Warnborough, was named as Thomas’s next of kin.  May 1909 saw his promotion to Lance Corporal, a rank he held until his discharge from the Regiment on 2May 1911 after 18 years’ service.  During those years he had received four Good Conduct badges, and been awarded the Africa General Service medal: clasps Jidballi and Somaliland, 1902-04; and the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.  His discharge papers state that his conduct and character while with the Colours were exemplary and it was noted that he was sober, reliable and industrious[4].  After his discharge from the Army in 1911, Thomas became a postman at Hartley Wintney.  He and Emma had four children.  

As a Special Reservist Thomas rejoined the colours  at Basingstoke in 1914 serving with the 2^nd Battalion The Hampshire Regiment [5].  He was awarded the 1914 Star, the British War Medal 1914-20 and the Victory Medal 1914-19 in June 1915, not long before his death, which is commemorated on the Helles Memorial.

From the Commonwealth War Graves Commission certificate, we learn that Thomas was the son of Mrs Annie Redding and his widow, Emma, was living in No. 21, Council Houses, North Warnborough[6].  His gallant service to his country was also respected by the Post Office, his pre-war employer, who funded the education of two of his sons, Laurence and Sidney, at Odiham Grammar School[7]. 

After the heavy losses on 6^th August, and more again on 21 August, the decision was made that it was time to pull out of Gallipoli and plans for evacuation of the troops were put in place.  However, this process was to take some months and include living through harsh winter conditions, which were likely to add to the already high sickness rate from diarrhoea, dysentery and other illnesses.  The 2^nd Hampshire did have a week’s rest and recuperation at Imbros at the beginning of September, before returning to the front line for nearly four weeks.  In October they returned to the reserve line, although this, too, was subject to Turkish gunfire.  Although casualty rates were down during the month, sickness rates increased with137 men admitted to hospital.  A change in the weather in November brought with it more hardship.  The troops now had to face heavy rain, icy cold winds, very low temperatures and great blizzards at the end of the month.  Fortunately for the Hampshire men, their position was on slightly higher ground than the 86^th Brigade on their flank, which suffered great losses of men, equipment and food in trenches flooded by icy cold water.  By early December the weather had improved and four drafts of men brought the battalion back to strength to begin the evacuation process.  At last, this was something that was well planned and organised[8]. 

On 13 December the 2^nd Hampshires took over the 86^th Brigade’s firing line so as to mask their withdrawal from contact.  To Turkish eyes, operations were continuing as normal, with repairs to damaged trenches and parapets being effected, and tactical, intermittent sniping directed at them from the front line.  Under this deception, troops were gradually moved back towards the shore and the waiting ships, the last forty men having set up a ‘smokescreen’ of lighted candles, fuses and detonators to cover their escape.  All were safely aboard by 3.00am on 20^th December for the journey to Imbros.  This whole operation had taken place with no loss of life[9].

The first evacuation of Suvla and Anzac had been successful.  The plans for breaking contact with the enemy and evacuating Cape Helles would inevitably be more difficult, not having the same element of surprise and subterfuge.  Having arrived at Imbros the Battalion was almost immediately to re-embark and return to W beach (the evening of 22^nd December).  After a few days over the Christmas period at Cape Helles in reserve, on 31 December 1915 they took over the Eski Line, which was to be held to cover the evacuation.  This line was in close contact with the Turkish front line, in places just ten yards away, and therefore an easy target for being at the receiving end of their bombs.  The date for final evacuation had been set for 8^thJanuary 1916, but 7^th January was a day of heavy shelling.  This was the day that Sergeant Sydney Baker was killed in action.