Driver Thomas John Ball
| Date of Birth | c. 1883 |
|---|---|
| Age at Death | 36 |
| Date of Death | 18 February 1919 |
| Service Number | 325555 |
| Military Service | 589th Home Service Employment Company, Labour Corps |
| Merton Address | 27 Pepys Road, Wimbledon |
| Local Memorial | Wimbledon Cemetery |
Additional Information
Thomas John Ball was born in August 1882 in Hoylake Cheshire. He was the son of a green keeper, William Ball, and his wife Hannah. He was married to Ada Twist in the Wirral in 1905. By 1911 he was a golf professional living in Fleet in Hants. He had a son Cyril aged 5. He was second in the 1908 Open Championship and tied for second place the following year. He won the Belgian Open in 1913 and 1914.
He moved with his family to 27 Pepys Road, Wimbledon before the outbreak of war. He initially signed up as a driver in the Royal Field Artillery 4th Reserve Brigade but was later transferred to the Labour Corps 589th Home Service Employment Company.
The Labour Corps was formed in 1917 and was manned by officers and other ranks whose medical ratings excluded them from front line service. It is not known where Thomas Ball was posted during his army service but records show that he died at home of influenza and pneumonia on the 18th February 1919.
He is buried at the Gap Road Cemetery in Wimbledon Plot B, row B, Grave 743