Friends of the Somme - Mid Ulster Branch  
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Updates for Private Thomas John Cross
Date Information
11/02/2021 Family: John Cross, Mary Cross, Anna Margaret Cross (born 16th January 1878), Robert Warnock Cross (born 14th September 1879), Thomas John Cross (born 2nd May 1883), Samuel Wallace Cross (born 2nd May 1883), Mary Isabella Cross (born 16th July 1884).
11/02/2021 Thomas and his twin brother Samuel were born in Drumglass, Dungannon on 2nd May 1883.
11/02/2021 Thomas John Cross was the twin son of John and Mary Cross. John Cross and Mary Warwick were married on 17th March 1876 in the district of Dungannon.
11/02/2021 It seems John Cross died on 24th July 1897 in Dungannon, aged 64.
10/02/2021 Private Cross arrived in France on 5th October 1915.
26/05/2020 02407
23/12/2018 The subs were Private S Proctor (Coalisland) and W Gallagher (Killyman), and amongst the the large crowd of spectators were Sergeants P J Weir and J Ringland, and both of whom, I may add, are looking very fit. The match was very fast and exciting throughout, and neither the players nor spectators were troubled for the time being by the enemy or their shells. The game resulted in a win for sections 5/7 by 5 goals to 2.
23/12/2018 6/8 Section: Private T J Cross (Dungannon), Private Joe Beggs (Dungannon), Lance Corporal McMenemy (Dungannon), Private R Carroll (Castlecaulfield), Private R Wigton (Killyman), Private E Clarke (Bangor), Private R Hogshaw (Killyclogher), Private J Kelly (Castlecaulfield), Corporal James Anderson (Dungannon), Private W J Orr (Ballynakelly), Bandsman T Henry (Dungannon)
23/12/2018 5/7 Section: Privates James Henderson (Tamnamore, Sergeant E G Lucas (Parkanaur), Private S Cowan (Belfast), Private S Lambe (Dungannon), Private F Mason (Belfast), Private J Breadon, (Belfast), Drummer Scot (Belfast), Private Maxwell (Belfast), Private Campbell (Liverpool), Private D Ewart (Belfast), Lance Corporal A Getty (Ballymoney).
23/12/2018 Private Thomas J Cross of the 9th Battalion Royal Inniskillings Fusiliers, writes:- ‘Just a few lines to let you know that we are enjoying the good old game of football out here. We had a great match on Saturday 11th December, and a prize for the winners was presented by Sergeant G Belshaw, late of Moygashel. It was a platoon match – the 5th and 7th sections versus the 6th and 8th sections. The following were the teams:-
23/12/2018
23/12/2018 From the Mid Ulster Mail dated 25th December 1915: Football at the Front
28/11/2018 From the Mid Ulster Mail dated 31th July 1915: Samuel Cross (brother of Thomas Cross)
28/11/2018 Three privates of the Inniskillings (Gillespie, Betts and Quinn) were sentenced to two months hard labour at Ballycastle on Monday for assaulting some of the Christian Brothers and acting in a disgraceful manner. Amongst the witnesses for the prosecution were two Dungannon men, Private Thomas Harbinson, who heard Quinn boast of ‘having knocked spots out of the Christian Brothers,’ and Private S W Cross, who saw two of the brothers bleeding and went to their assistance. There was no defence other than that the outrage was due to drink, and as the military authorities have ample powers over the public houses but do not exercise it, they cannot get rid of the responsibility.
28/11/2018
06/10/2017
16/09/2017 Above are photos of the two soldier sons of Mrs Cross, Market Square, Dungannon, both of whom are at present serving with the Ulster Division in France. Private Samuel Cross, 9th Inniskilling Fusiliers, volunteered in August 1914 while the other brother, Private Thomas Cross, enlisted at Christmas, joining the same regiment. Both had served their apprenticeship with the firm of Messrs Richard Richardson Ltd, Dungannon, and Thomas afterwards had been employed in Belfast, and Samuel in Moy. They are brothers of Mr R W Cross, relieving officer for No 1 district of Dungannon Union.
16/09/2017
16/09/2017 From the Tyrone Courier dated 16th December 1915: Brothers in the Trenches
09/04/2017 Private Thomas J Cross, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, killed in action, was a brother of Mr R W Cross, Market Square, Dungannon. He was a P.M. of Dungannon L.O.L. 1229 and a member of Dungannon Royal Black Preceptory No. 523 and of Moy Company U.V.F.
09/04/2017
09/04/2017 From the Belfast Newsletter dated 28th October 1918:
09/04/2017 News reached Dungannon of the death in action of Private Thomas John Cross, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, brother of Mr R W Cross, Market Square. This young soldier who was a native of Dungannon, had served his apprenticeship with Messrs R Richardson Limited, Church Street, and prior to the outbreak of war had been in business in Moy. Promptly volunteering, he had joined the same Company of the Fusiliers as his twin brother Private Samuel W Cross (now in hospital in England) and both had ‘gone over the top’ side by side on the ever memorable 1st July 1916 when both were wounded. He had been W.M. of Dungannon Total Abstinence L.O.L. 1229 and a member of Dungannon Royal Black Preceptory No 523 and formerly connected with Moy Company U.V.F. His commanding officer Colonel R E Knox, in writing to Miss Cross expressing the sincere sympathy of all ranks in the Battalion said that no better or braver lad had served under him. In Dungannon Parish Church on Sunday evening Rev Canon T J McEndoo M.A. referred in feeling terms to the deceased soldier’s love of his home and said he had been informed that Private Cross on the eve of all the battles in which he had taken part had made it his duty to spend the night in prayer.
05/04/2017 Private Samuel W Cross, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, Dungannon, has been admitted to hospital in England suffering from dysentery.
05/04/2017
05/04/2017 From the Belfast Newsletter dated 12th September 1918: Private Samuel Cross (twin brother of Private Thomas Cross)
31/03/2017 From the Belfast Newsletter dated 20th May 1918:
31/03/2017
31/03/2017 Private Thomas J Cross is buried in Cement House Cemetery in Langemarck, West-Vlaanderen in Belgium.
31/03/2017 Private Thomas J Cross, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, gassed and in hospital, is a son of the late Mrs M Cross, Market Square, Dungannon.
31/03/2017
30/12/2015 Promptly volunteering at the outbreak of war, Thomas Cross enlisted in Dungannon and joined the same Company of the Fusiliers as his twin brother Private Samuel W Cross.
30/12/2015
30/12/2015 Thomas' twin brother Samuel Cross, who was also with the 9th Battalion of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, survived the war.
30/12/2015 Private Thomas Cross was serving with the 9th Battalion of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers when he was killed in action in France & Flanders on 15th October 1918. He was 32 years old.
30/12/2015 Private Thomas Cross recovered and returned to the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.
30/12/2015 'The 1st July will be a memorable day. The fighting 9th's marched boldly out at 7 o'clock to jump the parapet to lead the charge. We suffered heavily as in 'No Man's Land', the Germans had the full range of us, and between shell fire and machine guns, half of us were cut off and left lying in the open for almost a day and it was a miracle we got away at all.'
30/12/2015 From the Tyrone Courier and Dungannon News dated Thursday 23 May 1918:
30/12/2015 Both brothers had 'gone over the top' side by side on the 1st July 1916 when both were wounded. Thomas received injuries to both legs and was removed to hospital in Sheffield, England.
30/12/2015 From the Tyrone Courier and Dungannon News dated 19th September 1918: Private Samuel Cross (twin brother of Private Thomas Cross)
30/12/2015 The 1911 census lists Thomas John as age 25, living with the family at house 3 in Market Square, Dungannon, Tyrone. Thomas was working as a shop assistant.
30/12/2015 The 1901 census does not list Thomas as living with the family at house 3 in Market Square, Dungannon, Tyrone, but does list his twin brother. His mother was a widow. It seems the family had a drapers shop in Market Square, Dungannon.
30/12/2015 Privates Thomas J and Samuel Cross (9th Inniskillings) twin brothers and sons of Mrs Cross, Market Square, Dungannon, were both wounded. The former received injuries in both legs and is in hospital in Sheffield and the latter was slightly wounded in the face and is in hospital in France. Writing home, Thomas says :- 'The 1st July will be a memorable day. The fighting 9th's marched boldly out at 7 o'clock to jump the parapet to lead the charge. We suffered heavily as in 'No Man's Land', the Germans had the full range of us, and between shell fire and machine guns, half of us were cut off and left lying in the open for almost a day and it was a miracle we got away at all.'
30/12/2015
30/12/2015
30/12/2015 Shortly after, Thomas wrote:
30/12/2015 Thomas Cross served his apprenticeship with Messrs R Richardson Limited, Church Street, and prior to the outbreak of war had been in business in Moy.
30/12/2015 From the Tyrone Courier dated 13 July 1916:
30/12/2015
30/12/2015 From the Mid Ulster Mail dated Saturday 15th July 1916:
30/12/2015 Private Samuel W Cross and Thomas J Cross (twin brothers), Dungannon.
30/12/2015
30/12/2015 Mr R W Cross, Market Square, Dungannon, has received intimation that his brother Private Thomas J Cross, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers has been gassed and is in hospital. This soldier and his twin brother Samuel W Cross of the same battalion were wounded during 5the Somme advance on 1st July 1916.
30/12/2015 He had been W.M. of Dungannon Total Abstinence L.O.L. 1229 and a member of Dungannon Royal Black Preceptory No 523 and formerly connected with Moy Company U.V.F.
30/12/2015
30/12/2015
30/12/2015 From the Tyrone Courier and Dungannon News dated Thursday 31 October 1918:
30/12/2015 Private Samuel W Cross, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, who has been admitted to hospital in England suffering from illness contracted at the front, is a brother of Mr R W Cross, Market Square, Dungannon.
30/12/2015
30/12/2015 Private Thomas J Cross was gassed in the spring of 1918 and spent some time in hospital.
30/12/2015 The twin brothers of Mr R W Cross, R.O., Market Square, Dungannon, were wounded in action on 3rd July. Private Samuel W Cross is a member of L.O.L. 1229, Dungannon, and Private Thomas J Cross is a member of L.O.L. 178, Dungannon. They were enthusiastic members of Moy Company Dungannon Battalion U.V.F., and were in business at the outbreak of war but promptly volunteered. Thomas Cross has received serious wounds in both legs.
30/12/2015 From the Mid Ulster Mail dated Saturday 8th July 1916: Cookstown Soldiers Wounded in Big Push
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