Stoke Climsland Parish
	WW1 Memorial Project

PRIVATE THOMAS HANCOCK

3/4261, 1ST BATTALION

DUKE OF CORNWALL'S LIGHT INFANTRY

DIED 16TH MARCH 1915

PERSONAL DETAILS

Thomas Hancock was born in Lewannick in the early part of 1877, the third son of William and Mary Ann Hancock.  The family is listed in the 1881 census (image below: parents, 4 sons, 1 daughter) living in Trelaske Cottage Barton.  William Hancock is a  farm labourer.  By the time of the 1891 census (image below), the family (parents, 3 sons, 1 daughter) have moved to Burraton.  At this date, Thomas, at 14, is a farm labourer, as is his father.  At the time of the 1901 census (image below), the family (parents, Thomas and his sister, Elizabeth) are living at Venterdon Cottage, Venterdon.  Thomas and his father are listed as both being agricultural labourers.

We have no further personal details.

ARMY SERVICE

Thomas Hancock enlisted in the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry at Bodmin and was assigned to the 1st Battalion.  A date for his enlistment cannot be traced but his regimental number (3/4261) suggests that he may have been a pre-war reservist in the Royal Cornwall Rangers Militia.  This being the case he is likely to have been part of the first wave of  mobilisation in early August 1914 which strengthened the 1st Battalion, then located at the Curragh, near Dublin.  From there, the 1st DCLI embarked on the S.S. Lanfranc (image below) on 13th August 1914 and arrived at the French port of Le Havre during the morning of 15th August.

IMAGE GALLERY

Here are some images relating to Thomas Hancock.  Hover over each one for a description and 'double click' to enlarge the image.