Herbert Thomas Long was born in 1897, a son of Frederick William Long (1863-1942) and Maria Long née Gilby (1868-1924). His birth was registered in the 2nd quarter of 1897 in the Wandsworth Registration District, London.
In the 1901 census he is shown as aged 5 years and living in three rooms at 4 Ethelburga Street, Battersea, London, with his parents and two siblings: Nellie Maria Long (1894-1918) and Frederick William Long (b.1895). His father was a machine minder at a flour mill.
His father completed the family 1911 census return form and described him as aged 13 years and his ‘occupation’ was shown as ‘School pt House-Boy’. He was living in a four roomed house at 15 Freeland Street, Battersea, with his parents and two siblings: Frederick William Long - a linen draper's shop assistant and Florence Mabel Long (b.1907). The census form showed that his mother had given birth to 5 children of whom 4 were still alive and that his father continued to describe himself as a machine minder at a flour mill.
In October 1913 he was appointed as an Assistant Postman in the London Postal Service.
In May 1915 he joined the 2nd (City of London) Battalion, The London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers), service number 4438. He entered France on 10 October 1915 and on 1 January 1917 his service number was changed to 231740. He was serving in his regiment's ‘B’ company, when he was killed in action on 16 August 1917, aged 20 years. He was buried near where he fell, but following the armistice, his body was exhumed and he was reburied in Plot 37, Row B, Grave 7 within the Tyne Cot Cemetery, Vijfwegestraat, 8980 Zonnebeke, Belgium.
He was posthumously awarded the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal. On 16 March 1918 his mother was sent £3-15s-3d, followed by 11s-9d on 3 April 1919, as his army effects. On the 10 November 1919 she was sent his £10-0s-0d war gratuity.
He is shown as 'LONG, H.T.' on both the Western Postal District was memorial in Mount Pleasant, London, WC1 and on the St Mary's Parishioners war memorial inside St Mary's Church, Battersea Church Road, London, SW11 3NA. He is also commemorated on the Commonwealth War Grave Commission's website, on the Imperial War Museum's Lives of the First World War website, on the A Street Near You website, on the London WW1 War Memorial website, on the Royal British Legion's Every One Remembered website and on page 228 of the Post Office Fellowship of Remembrance's Book of Remembrance 1914-1920.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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