Thomas enlisted in the 2/1st [Reserve] Battalion of the HCB on the 10/11/1914, and was allocated the HCB number of 1029 and placed in C Company. He gave his address as 39 Oundle Road, Woodston, Peterborough.
He was promoted in the Huntingdonshire Reserve Battalion from Private to Sergeant December 1914. (In an order raised at 7.00 pm, Vine Cottage, Chapel St. Leonards,0n 5 March 1917 by W. L Stephenson, Lieutenant and acting Adjt. (2.1), He held the existing rank "
On the Friday before the 19-12-1914 he had been promoted from the rank of private to the rank of Sergeant (provisional) in the 2/1st HCB.
By the 22-1-1915 he was noted as being a Colour Sergeant at Huntingdon HQ who was charged with the job of organising sports.
22-1-1915 - “The Hunts. Cyclists at Huntingdon have fixed a hockey match with St. Neots for Saturday and anticipate another win. The Cyclists are open to arrange friendly games with any teams in the district on any date. Applications should be made to Colour. Sergeant Stafford at the Headquarters, Huntingdon.”
29-1-1915 - “Lieutenant W. Garne has been elected captain of Hunts. Cyclists Hockey Club with Colour Sergeant Stafford as secretary and treasurer. The Committee consists of Lieutenant Pentalow, Lieutenant Beeby, Sergeant - Major Grover and Private C. Boden.”
5-2-1915 = “CYCLISTS AT HOCKEY” “The Hunts. Cyclist Battalion hockey team played the return match with Peterborough Town on Saturday at Peterborough. The tables were turned and Peterborough won four - two. The Cyclists made two changes from their previous winning team, Lieutenant G. Coleman and Pte. Taylor being absent and their places taken by Sergeant Shepperson and Pte. Norman. Play was pretty even, but the Cyclists did not play as well as in their first match, Lieutenant Gorse going from centre forward to centre half made a great difference to the van, which did not get going until he returned. Peterborough were fortunate in having their first two goals allowed. The scorers were, Bert Wilson (3) and English; Cyclists. Pte. C. Boden and Sergeant Bonnett. Hunts. Pte. Norman ; Lieutenant Pentelow and Colour Sergeant Stafford ; Corp. Taylor ; Lieutenant Garne and Corp. Mann ; Pte. Parr, Sergeant - Major Grover, Sergeant Bennett, Pte. C. Boden, and Sergeant Shepperson.”
He was described on his marriage certificate dated 23rd October 1915 as a 'Colour Sergeant, Hunts Cyclist Battalion'.
He was promoted in the Huntingdonshire Reserve Battalion from Private to Sergeant December 1914. (In an order raised at 7.00 pm, Vine Cottage, Chapel St. Leonards,0n 5 March 1917 by W. L Stephenson, Lieut. and acting Adjt. (2.1), He held the existing rank of C. Q. M. S. in C company (2.1) .
His new substantive rank was to be C. Q. M. S . and was effective from 27/11/1915. This order was issued under The Army Council Instruction No.115 of 1917. ref 156/2). When he went to France he was given the Army Number of 290237 - possibly in the Sherwood Foresters.
His name appears in the local papers on 25th February 1916 as receiving a promotion in the 2/1st HCB, at the time he was in C Company and was promoted from colour Sergeant to company Q. M. S. The promotions were as a result of the ending of the ‘Double’ company system on 1-12-1915.
Local newspaper entries indicate that by 25/2/1916 Colour Sergeant T. Stafford had been promoted to the rank of Company Quarter Master Sergeant.
Q M S Stafford sent an apology to the re-union of the H. C. B. 'old boys' held in the 'Golden Lion' Stanground on Friday 4th, November 1932.
He died in 1960.
Many thanks for family information supplied here by Chris Sibson.
If you can help with any data on this Huntingdonshire Cyclist please contact me at huntscycles@btinternet.com
09/04/2012