AVERILL Thomas Hanson

Appears in the Worcester/Worcestershire Roll of Honour Book for army casualties located in Worcester Cathedral.

Thomas Hanson Averill was born on 21st December 1894 and baptised in the Parish Church at Worfield, Shropshire on 20th January 1895 when his father’s occupation was given as a Bailiff. He entered King Charles 1 School at Kidderminster as a Boarder on 17th September 1907. The family were resident at Great Witley and Thomas had previously attended Great Witley Elementary School. He left King Charles 1 School on 3rd April 1909 when his occupation taken up after leaving was given as Evesham Grammar School.

The following report appears in the United Parish Magazine, Witley section, October 1917:
Thomas Hanson Averill
All who knew him would feel a sense of personal loss on hearing that Thomas Hanson Averill has been killed in action.  His was so bright and attractive a personality that we do not wonder at the affectionate way in which his brother officers have written about him. For him one cannot feel sorry at all, for his parents one cannot feel sorry enough; although they have so much reason to be proud of such a son.

United Parish Magazine, Witley section, December 1917:
A memorial service and the dedication of the war shrine took place on Sunday November 4th at Great Witley Chapel €”€” The shrine is the more interesting from the fact that it is made of the wood of the Britannia.  An old battleship, which was, until a few years ago, the training place of all our naval officers.  The names on the Roll of Honour are: Frank Adams, Worcester Yeomanry; Thomas Hanson Averill, Kings Liverpool Regiment; John Cadwallader, Worcester Regiment; William Hinton, D. Of Wellingtons Regiment; Henry Hodges, Worcester Yeomanry; Charles Jones Grenadier Guards; William Jay, Worcester Regiment; Ernest Lockett, Worcester Regiment; Thomas Page Worcester Yeomanry; Arthur Rogers, A.S.C.; George Stone, Worcester Regiment; Frederick Thorp, Worcester Yeomanry; George Willsher, Worcester Yeomanry.

A photograph of Second Lieutenant T. Hanson Averill of Witley can be found in Berrow’s Worcester Journal Supplement, Saturday 22nd September 1917, available at Worcestershire Archives.