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 Abt 1896 - 1940 (~ 44 years)
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| Name |
Thomas Arthur House [1, 2] |
| Witness at Marriage |
29 Jun 1823 |
Register Office, Wandsworth, London  [3] |
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|
| Birth |
Abt 1896 |
Westminster, London [4, 5] |
| Born |
Abt Nov 1896 |
Westminster, London |
| Gender |
Male |
| Birth |
Abt Nov 1896 |
St George, Hanover Square RD, London [1] |
| Birth |
Abt 1897 [2] |
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|
| Name |
Thomas House [4, 5] |
| Residence |
1901 |
56 Bessborough Place, Westminster, London |
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Bessborough Place, Westminster
|
| Occupation |
2 Apr 1911 |
| Messenger Boy |
| Residence |
2 Apr 1911 |
41 Bruce Road, Mitcham, Surrey |
| Occupation |
25 Oct 1924 [2] |
| Motor driver |
| Residence |
25 Oct 1924 |
56 Addington Road, Canning Town, Essex [2] |
| Occupation |
29 Nov 1940 [6] |
| Air Raid Protection ambulance driver |
| Died |
29 Nov 1940 |
Erith, Kent [6] |
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Thomas Arthur House
Erith Pub Blast |
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Thomas Arthur House
News Sopper article |
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Thomas Arthur House
Newspaper Cutting |
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Thomas Arthur House
Municipal Borough of Erith |
| Notes |
- In the photograph, Thomas House is believed to be the person on the left and the young man with his arm across his shoulder is the stretcher bearer, Henry Parry who died alongside him.
Hat-tip to Graham Jansen for the following two articles:
From the NEWS SHOPPER of December 31, 2003: Search for lasting tribute to hero
As tributes to the war dead go, a patch of grass with a grave number on it is not the most prestigious. But for Graham Jansen, that is all there is to remember the grandfather he regards as a hero. Reported Linda Piper looks at Mr Jansen's quest to get his grandfather's ultimate sacrifice publicly recognized with a proper memorial . . .
His grandfather, Thomas House, lived in Bullbanks Road, Belvedere. He had served with the Royal Horse Artillery during the First World War, but was too old at 44 to fight again when the Second World War broke out. So he became an ambulance driver instead.
And it was while on duty during a bombing raid when hit the riverfront area of Erith on November 29, 1940, Mr House made his last trip with his ambulance to help the wounded.
He and a 19-year old stretcher bearer, Henry Parry, made their way to the Riverside Gardens area of the town at 7:30pm.
Suddenly, another bomb fell on the town, landing in the gardens which had been laid over the site of the former Cannon and Gaze flour mill.
Because of the thickness of the concrete foundations of the mill which lay under the gardens, the bomb could not penetrate the ground. Instead it caused considerable blast damage.
The landlord of the Crown pub, in Erith High Street, was killed and so was his wife. The landlord of the Running Horses pub on the opposite side of the road was also killed, as well as two women and Mr House and Mr Parry. Around 20 others were injured.
While Mr Parry's family agreed to a civilian war grave provided at public expense, Mr House's wife Flora decided on a private burial.
"My mother told me he was very much against funds being used for non-essential reasons, possibly as a consequence of the war effort," said Mr Jansen. He thinks this is why his grandmother chose a burial with minimal fuss.
As a result, after her death, the grave fell into disrepair and the council cleared the site. For Mr Jansen's mother, it was a double tragedy. She was an evacuee and was away from home when he died. She has no photographs of him, nor a grave to visit. It was after his own father's death last year that Mr Jansen began researching his father's war experiences and found out about his grandfather's death.
He was shocked to discover there was not even a headstone on his grandfather's grave to record the circumstances of his death.
Because the grave is still owned by Flora House, the family will have to pay to have the ownership transferred before any decision can be taken about a headstone.
Mr Jansen, 29, who lives in Main Road, Longfield, has already successfully applied for his grandfather's National Service medal. He is also working with the Civilians Remembered Trust, which hopes to put up a memorial in East London to the civilian war dead, and to have his grandfather's name included.
He is still looking for more information about his grandfather, especially his work as an ambulance driver and the circumstances of his death.
He is also hoping to have a memorial plaque placed outside the Running Horses pub in Erith, which would carry the details of the bombing and the names of those who died, including his grandfather.
From the NEWS SHOPPER of August 2, 2011: Second World War ambulance driver Thomas House gets medal 71 years after pub bombing
After 71 years, the family of an ambulance driver killed in a Second World War bomb attack have finally secured a lasting tribute to him. Air Raid Precautions worker Thomas House, aged 44, of Bullbanks Road, Belvedere, was killed at The Running Horses pub in Erith when a bomb struck on November 29 1940.
Back in 2003, News Shopper reported how Mr House’s grandson Graham Jansen discovered his grandfather had no headstone at his grave and was looking for a way to have him honoured. Mr Jansen, from Longfield, explained: “My grandfather was entitled to have a civilian war grave at Brook Street Cemetery, Erith, but for reasons unknown my grandmother requested an unmarked grave. “It seems she did not claim the medal at the end of the war either.”
Now 46-year-old Mr Jansen has succeeded, after discovering he could apply for a Defence Medal for his grandfather, as he had qualified for civilian service. By applying through the Civil Contingencies Secretariat in Whitehall, Mr Jansen managed to get the medal and has now presented it to his mother, 78-year-old Valerie Smith from Joydens Wood.
Mr House was buried without a gravestone He said: “It's taken 71 years but we got there in the end. “I really did this for my mum to be honest. She literally had nothing at all to remember him.
“I am now in the process of contacting the family of Henry George Frederick Parry, the ARP stretcher bearer killed alongside my grandfather to see if they are aware he qualified for the medal.“ The ribbon colours on the medal are symbolic, with the flame, green and black symbolising the enemy attacks, British Isles and war years black-out respectively.
The bombing
Mr House had been on duty the night a bombing raid hit the riverfront area of Erith and took his ambulance to help the wounded. He and a 19-year-old stretcher bearer, Henry Parry, made their way to the Riverside Gardens area of the town at 7.30pm.
Suddenly another bomb fell on the town, landing in the gardens which had been laid over the site of the former Cannon and Gaze flour mill. Because of the thickness of the concrete foundations of the mill which lay under the gardens, the bomb could not penetrate the ground. Instead, it caused considerable blast damage.
The landlord of the Crown pub, in Erith High Street, was killed and so was his wife. Also killed was the landlord of the Running Horses pub on the opposite side of the road, as well as two women and Mr House and Mr Parry. Around 20 others were injured.
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| Person ID |
I42422 |
ONS |
| Last Modified |
2 Dec 2020 |
| Father |
William Sidney John House, b. 13 Aug 1868, Wells, Somerset , d. Abt Feb 1946, Mid E Surrey RD, Surrey (Age 77 years) |
| Mother |
Alma Ada Williamena Gale, b. Abt Aug 1876, Salisbury, Wiltshire , d. Abt May 1923, Croydon RD, Surrey (Age ~ 46 years) |
| Married |
Abt Feb 1896 |
St George, Hanover Square RD, London [7] |
| Family ID |
F12964 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Family |
Flora McAlister Campbell Macgregor, b. Abt 1903, d. 14 Oct 1967, Erith, Kent (Age ~ 64 years) |
| Married |
25 Oct 1924 |
St Matthias, Canning Town, Essex [2] |
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Wedding of Thomas Arthur House and Flora McAlister Campbell Macgregor
Other known people on pic: Daisy House (i42374), Frank Goldsmith (i42362), Alma Harding (baby)(i109735), Lily Alma House (i42409), Violet House (i42423) (bridesmaid), bridegroom and bride, then on far right (with cigarette) brother, William House (i42434) |
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Flora McAlister Campbell Macgregor and Thomas Arthur House Wedding
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| Witness |
25 Oct 1924 [2] |
| David McGregor |
| Witness |
25 Oct 1924 [2] |
| Miss L Armstrong |
| Married |
Abt Nov 1924 |
West Ham RD, London [6, 7] |
| Children |
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| Last Modified |
18 Dec 2013 |
| Family ID |
F13663 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
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| Event Map |
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 | Witness at Marriage - 29 Jun 1823 - Register Office, Wandsworth, London |
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 | Birth - Abt 1896 - Westminster, London |
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| Born - Abt Nov 1896 - Westminster, London |
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 | Birth - Abt Nov 1896 - St George, Hanover Square RD, London |
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 | Residence - 1901 - 56 Bessborough Place, Westminster, London |
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 | Residence - 2 Apr 1911 - 41 Bruce Road, Mitcham, Surrey |
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 | Married - 25 Oct 1924 - St Matthias, Canning Town, Essex |
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 | Married - Abt Nov 1924 - West Ham RD, London |
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 | Died - 29 Nov 1940 - Erith, Kent |
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| Pin Legend |
 : Address
 : Location
 : City/Town
 : County/Shire
 : State/Province
 : Country
 : Not Set |
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| Sources |
- [S476] BMD register (England & Wales) - births - multiple sources.
available online from various sources
- [S198] GOONS marriage challenge.
- [S50] Marriage cert.
- [S6] 1901 census.
- [S156] 1911 census - UK.
- [S699] Graham Jansen.
- [S475] BMD register (England & Wales) - marriages - multiple sources.
available online from various sources
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