2nd Lieutenant, 112th Company Machine Gun Corps.
Died on 10th July 1916, age approx. 24.
Remembered on the Thiepval Memorial.
Former student of chemistry.
Tom was born in 1892 at Wigan to Thomas Gerard of Worsley. He was educated at King William’s College on the Isle of Man. He obtained a BSc. Chemistry in 1913 from Manchester University and following a year of research was granted an MSc. He was a prominent member of the Men’s Union, enjoyed sports, particularly cricket, and spent a period as the secretary of the University cricket club. After his studies he was appointed to the India Forest Service and in pursuance of this career took up a further course at the University of Oxford in 1914 where he joined the Officer Training Corps.
Refused permission to join the army by his employer Tom resigned his position and applied for a commission joining the 4th Battalion Manchester Regiment. In February 1916 he was sent to France as a Machine Gun Officer. He was killed in action near Contalmaison on 10th July 1916. His commanding officer remarked “He was a very gallant officer, and he met a very gallant death”.
He may have had a brother, Frederick William Gerard, who died in October 1917.