A day or so after the memorial was unveiled, I was contacted by Peter Tozer, the 90 year old son of A/Sjt Tozer, MM.
17188 Tom Tozer (wrongly given JJ Ash's number 17348 in the War Diary) was born in Canning Town around 1896 and grew up at 53 Nelson Street. His father was a docker, born in Devon.
Family lore says he was awarded the Military Medal for carrying back an Officer while under fire. Sadly, there are no citations for Military Medal awards, but who knows, perhaps one day we can somehow get that confirmed. What is interesting is that he is seated beside the only Officer in the photograph.
Although he survived the Great War, his health was destroyed by it and he finally succumbed to the effects of Spanish Flu in his mid thirties.
Peter was totally unaware of the memorial at the Boleyn Ground, and had simply got his neighbour, on a whim, to search Google for the '13th Essex'. They found their way here and ordered a copy of Men of Essex, Vol 9
What an incredible surprise to find a photo of his father!
What an even bigger surprise for me that he was seated next to JJ Ash - who was featured here only shortly before and whose grandson, David Ash, I met at the unveiling!
Tom Tozer also travelled over with my Gt Grandfather and 123 others as part of the Advance Party, on the 16th November 1915, a day before the rest of the Battalion entered France & Flanders for The Great War.
2 comments:
I am the grandson of 17188 Tom Tozer and as a staunch West Ham United fan, I am very proud of him and all that fought. My father, Peter Tozer, was actually 80 when this posting was made and not 90.
Andrew Tozer
Essex
Earlier this year, Peter John Tozer, son of 17188 Thomas Preston Tozer, sadly passed away at the age of 81 having fought his own battle against Motor Neurone Desease. He leaves a wife, Kathleen, and two sons, Ross William Tozer, and myself, Andrew Preston Tozer. He is greatly missed.
Rest in peace Dad x
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