Early Life :

Education & Career :

Architect (1914).

Service Life:

Campaigns:

• The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.

9 April - 29 April 1918. As the first phase of the great German campaign of 1918 lost momentum and failed in its objective to split the British and French armies, subsidiary attacks were shift the balance of the attack and to seek opportunities to exploit other sectors. On the Lys the Germans initially enjoyed spectacular success against a Portuguese Division but the gap was soon plugged and the advance halted.

Detail :

Probate shows: SILVER, Thomas Samuel Harper of 33 South Road, Handsworth, died 16 April 1918 in action either in France or Belgium. Probate granted at Birmingham, 3 September to Sydney Harold Middleton, brass founder and Florence Martha Silver, widow. Effects £2537 14s.

Birmingham Daily Gazette 26 April 1918 "The Birmingham City Council has lost another member by the death in action of Sec.-Lieut. Thomas Silver, of 62, Linwood-road, Handsworth. Sec.-Lieut. Silver was an architect and surveyor by profession, and represented the Soho Ward (Handsworth) on the City Council. He was 39 years of age."

Evening Despatch 26 April 1918 "A quarterly meeting of the Birmingham City Council was held yesterday, under the presidency of the Lord Mayor (Alderman Brooks). On taking his seat his Lordship referred tot he loss the Council had sustained by the death in action of Second Lieutenant Thomas Silver, one of the representatives of Soho Ward. Mr. Silver, he said, was the third member of the Council who had given his life for his country, the others being Major Lynn Shaw and Captain Norman Chamberlain.These tragedies reminded us of the sacrifices which must be made in the course of this tremendous struggle. When we realised the way in which men had willingly gone to render service, even unto death, he thought those who had remained should be even more determined than ever to use their utmost efforts to see that the end of the war was worthy of the price which was being paid (Hear Hear). He proposed a resolution expressing regret at the death of Second Lieutenant Silver, admiration of his gallantry and patriotism, and sympathy with Mrs. Silver and her family in their bereavement. Alderman Sanders seconded the resolution, which was carried by the members standing."

Training Centres - Demand for WorkersThe monthly meeting of the Birmingham Education Committee this afternoon opened with a note of regret. The members had heard with sorrow of the death in action of one of their younger members, Second-Lieutenant Thomas Silver, and the Chairman (Sir George Kenrick) voiced the thoughts of his colleagues when he remaarked that they had lost a most promising member. The only consolation that came to them, he said, was that Lieutenant Silver had sacrificed his life in a worthy cause, and unless we were prepared to accept such sacrifices we must not expect to be victorious in the things for which we entered the war. The vote of sympathy, which the Chairman proposed should be sent to the wife and family of the lieutenant, was acknowledged by the members standing in silence."

Masonic :

Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

• The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• The (UK) National Archives
• Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
• ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry

Additional Source:

• Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
• Researcher : Bruce Littley