Pte. T.E. Coe

Pte. T.E. Coe

Thomas was the son of Leonard Burrell and Emma Coe and he was born on 15th November 1885. His parents lived on Cheltenham Parade in 1915, but subsequently moved to 4 St. Mary's Avenue, Harrogate.

He worked for the Harrogate Corporation, in the Electrical Engineer's Office, and was a member of the Harrogate Y.M.C.A. and a choristor at St. Mary's church.

He emigrated to Canada in June 1912 and was working for the Hudson Bay Railway Company when War broke out in August 1914. He immediately joined up and came back over to Europe with the first Canadian contingent.

On 22nd April 1915 the Canadians were in the front line near the Belgian town of Ypres, when the Germans released a cloud of deadly chlorine gas over the trenches of French colonial troops to their left. This was the first ever use of poison gas in modern warfare.

The gas caused panic in the French trenches and created a huge gap in the front line through which the Germans began to advance, behind the gas.

The Canadians immediately charged into the gas to stem the German advance and there followed a period of bitter and confused fighting.

Exactly what happened to Tom Coe is still a mystery. It would appear that he was wounded during the fighting, but he disappeared and his body was never recovered. This, coupled with the despearte and confused nature of the fighting, probably explains the discrepancy between the official date of Tom's death and the account of his friend shown below.

Tom's father heard rumours of his son's death, and then his hopes must have been raised on 15th May 1915, when he received a letter from the Army to say that Tom was seriously wounded and missing.

Shortly afterwards, however, Tom's mother received a long letter from one of his friends which must have confirmed the worst:

Dear Mrs. Coe,

I think you will be somewhat prepared for the sad news I have to give. I have just been putting it off, hoping against hope that I might have some hope to give you, but I am afraid there is none.

I did not take this duty upon myself as it was Tom's last request to me. He asked me to take your last letter to him out of his pocket, and let you become acquainted with the circumstances. You will no doubt think I have been dilatory, but when I explain you will absolve me.

Up to the morning of the 23rd, the 10th platoon had seen some fierce fighting, with Tom always to the fore. You would have been proud of him if you had seen him on that red day. But on the 23rd our platoon was taken out to reinforce the most advanced point on the line. To get there we had to cross a very exposed piece of ground under a heavy fire from German machine guns.

We were dodging across singly at about 50 yard intervals. Tom was following me, suddenly I heard him call "Bert, Bert!, Oh Bert!" I knew he was hurt and immediately dashed back.

"Where are you hit Tom?" I asked. "In the stomach" he replied.

I took off his equipment etc. and pulled him into the shade and made him as comfortable as possible. Then I examined his wound.

I soon realised that it was mortal. Tom himself had already realised it. Oh how brave and cool he was! You may grieve for your own sake Mrs Coe, but never grieve for Tom's. If I can die and behave in the face of death as he did, I shall be quite content!

He was quite conscious all the time I was with him, and though he suffered terribly at first, the pain soon left him.He asked me to write and tell you how it happened and I promised I would.

I had to leave him then. The position was critical and every man was needed. Later on our battalion was almost surrounded and we had to retire and fight our way through, but as we held the position for several hours and several of our men had been killed or wounded at the same time and place as Tom, I was hoping that he had been taken in by the stretcher bearers.

Since then I have been badgering the powers that be and the hospital authorities trying to find him. The only record I could find said "T. Coe, Wounded and Missing". I got the Chaplain to help me but he could find nothing more.

And now I have given all the information I have. Oh, he just said as we shook hands: "I have finished Bert, but I did my best"....

......The other five are all safe (I am supposing you were aware of our little gang of six). All the parcels that were sent to him we have divided amongst the boys, knowing that you would not care to have them returned.......

.......I will close now. With my deepest sympathy. I remain Tom's friend and yours,

Bert Holgate.

Tom's name is now inscribed on the Menin Gate Memorial in Ypres, at which the Last Post is still played every evening at 8.00pm, in memory of all those who lost their lives in the infamous "Ypres Salient".