Thomas Chick

Story:
Thomas Chick was born in Hemyock, Devon, on 22 Apr 1888 the son of Thomas Edward Chick and Sarah Ann Chick (nee Clist).  He lived his early life in Devon until, by 1911, his family had moved to Blandfords Farm, Fontmell Magna, Shaftesbury, Dorset.  Thomas had found employment as a Carpenter and Wheelwright,   He emigrated from Liverpool on the SS Lake Champlain and arrived in Quebec, Canada, on 7 May 1912.  He lived in Heath, Alberta, Canada, where he was described as a Farmer.  He enlisted with the Canadian Expeditionary Force on 12 Nov 1917 as a Private (Service No. 211287).  He served in France and Flanders where he joined the Machine Gun Corps on 3 Jan 1918. On his discharge on 26 Mar 1919 he was awarded the Victory and British War Medals.  The 1921 Census of Canada shows him living in Battle River, Gilt Edge, Alberta, Canada, working as a Farm Labourer. He died on 25 Oct 1930 and was buried in the Edmonton, Alberta, Cemetery on 27 Oct 1930.  (NB There is some evidence that he had married Lily (or Lillie) Jackson in Alberta in 1927 but no definitive evidence has been found).

Thomas' brother Benjamin George (b.1896) also served in the war, with the Dorset Yeomanry and the Royal Engineers.