255221 Sgt. Thomas William Toop DCM.British army Royal Field Artillery from:Enfield, Middlesex Thomas Toop DCM was my Grandfather.
He was born in Enfield, Middlesex, in 1888/9 and joined the army in 1906 until he left in 1919/20. As far as I can tell, he first started as a officers' batman and became a Gunner then a Sargent.
He was about 6ft 4in tall and stationed at Canterbury, Kent, where he met and married my Grandmother. He then went to Trowbridge, Wilts. He also spent time at Okehampton and other camps.
At present, I don't know who he served under but I believe he was training others to be Gunners etc. I believe he went to France and Flanders in 1914 as he appears to have received his DCM medal in that year, I think on the 6th of November 1914 and was awarded the medal on the 26th of September 1916. He also received the 1914 Star etc.
I understand that during very heavy bombing his detachment was knocked out or killed and he took over the No 1 Gun and continued to fire setting an example to his men.
I believe he lost an eye and part of his heel plus shrapnel wounds.
He returned to Enfield and had a total of 6 children, one of whom was my father William Thomas Joseph Toop, the eldest son, and finished his later life in Lincolnshire aged 89.
I've not been able to find Thomas's army record.
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