*British, WW1, Framed Medal Group (War & Victory Medal) & Cap Badge, Lance Corporal Thomas John Howell, 5th Army Tramway Company, Royal Engineers (Died of Wounds, 1918), Plus Extensive Research*
A deeply moving and exceptionally well-documented First World War framed medal group to Lance Corporal Thomas John Howell, comprising his British War Medal (130659 L. Cpl. T. J. Howell, R.E.) and Victory Medal (130659 L. Cpl. T. J. Howell, R.E.), together with an original period Royal Engineers cap badge, King’s crown pattern, all professionally mounted within a glazed display frame. The group is accompanied by an extensive and unusually complete research archive, including copies of census returns, civil and church records, medal rolls, Soldiers Died in the Great War transcripts, Commonwealth War Graves Commission documentation, Ministry of Pensions cards, and photographic evidence of his grave.
The display clearly identifies Howell by name, service number 130659, unit 5th Army Tramway Company, and records his fate as Died of Wounds on 3rd March 1918, aged 29. The research fully substantiates the medals and provides a compelling personal and service narrative, making this a complete, museum-ready casualty group.
Approx. Measurements: Frame: 23.9 cm x 24 cm, Depth: 3.5 cm
Historical Note:
Thomas John Howell was born in Acton, Middlesex, in 1889, and baptised on 27 January 1889 at All Saints, South Acton. He was the son of George Howell, a former Royal Navy leading seaman who later worked as a labourer, and Caroline Allen Vince Howell. Census records from 1891, 1901, and 1911 trace the Howell family through several Acton addresses, documenting Thomas’s upbringing within a large working-class household.
By 1911, Thomas was employed as a carman, a civilian occupation closely aligned with the logistical and transport skills later required in specialist Royal Engineers units. On 15 October 1911, he married Jean Hillier at St Alban’s Church, Acton Green. The couple had one daughter, Marjory Jean Howell, born 26 July 1912.
Thomas enlisted at Acton and initially served with the Royal Fusiliers (service number 20979), before transferring to the Royal Engineers and being renumbered 130659. He rose to the rank of Lance Corporal and served with the 5th Army Tramway Company, one of the highly specialised Royal Engineers units responsible for constructing, maintaining, and operating light tramway systems that supplied ammunition, food, and materials to the front lines in France and Flanders. These tramway companies were vital to sustaining offensive operations, particularly during the later years of the war.
He was wounded in the Western European Theatre and subsequently died of those wounds on 3rd March 1918. He is buried at Ypres Reservoir Cemetery, Belgium, grave III.C.19. His Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstone bears the personal inscription “Never Shall Thy Memory Fade.”
Ministry of Pensions records confirm that his widow Jean Howell, residing at 31 Gladstone Road, Acton Green, London, received a war pension for herself and their daughter. Later records show Jean widowed and working as a catering assistant cook, with Marjory in employment, underscoring the long-term human cost of Howell’s wartime service.
Research Archive (Included)
A substantial printed research file accompanies the group, including copies of:
-Birth, baptism, marriage, and census records (1891–1911, 1921)
-Soldiers Died in the Great War transcript
-Commonwealth War Graves Commission Debt of Honour entry
-Medal Index and Medal Roll entries confirming entitlement
-Original Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance widow’s claim cards
-Pension award details for widow and child
-Photographic image of Howell’s CWGC headstone at Ypres Reservoir Cemetery
-Family history notes tracing parents, siblings, wife, and daughter
*Condition*
The medals retain good overall detail with light, even toning consistent with age; naming remains clear and legible. The Royal Engineers cap badge shows expected service wear and attractive patina, with no damage. The glazed frame is structurally sound, with minor surface wear commensurate with age. Please see photographs as part of the condition report.
A complete, named, and casualty WW1 Royal Engineers medal group, distinguished by its association with a specialist Army Tramway Company and accompanied by an unusually comprehensive research archive. An evocative and historically important group, ideal for collectors of Royal Engineers material, Western Front logistics units, or fully documented First World War casualty medals.
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