Description
British War & Victory Medal, 3155 Corporal Thomas Grourke, Royal Welsh Fusiliers, Killed in Action with 251st Tunnelling Company Royal Engineers on 5th June 1917.
Pair officially impressed: “3155 Pte T. Grourke. R.W. Fus.”
A rare tunnelling casualty and also unusual being named to his former Infantry unit.
Also entitled to the 1915 Star for service with the R.W. Fus.
Corporal Thomas “Tommy” Grourke was killed in action on 5th June 1917 whilst serving with the 251st Tunnelling Company Royal Engineers.
Known by their nickname “The Moles”, the 251st Tunnelling Company was one of a small number of tunnelling companies tasked with the treacherous job of underground tunnel warfare.
The unit was well known for hiring Cornish Tin Miners, and their services are detailed in the 2015 Book “Battle Beneath the Trenches: The Cornish Miners of 251 Tunnelling Company RE” by Robert K. Johns.
Thomas “Tommy” Grourke, was a Welshman, born in Wrexham, Denbighshire during 1887.
Born and raised in Wrexham, he lived there for his whole life until the war, marrying his wife Ann Jane Davies there during April 1907.
As of 1911 before the war he was living in Wrexham with his wife, 2 children and his wife’s family working as a Relayer on the Railway.
With the outbreak of World War 1, he enlisted for service with the local Royal Welsh Fusiliers.
First landing for service in France with the R.W. Fus on 22nd April 1915.
He rose to Acting Corporal with them before transferring over to the Royal Engineers, seeing further service in the tunnels with the 251st Company, reaching Corporal with them.
