Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Samuel Neale a shepherd, born in the 1st quarter of 1847 in Hallaton, Leicestershire and his wife Mary Anne Neale (nee Robinson, married on the 28th January 1879 in the Parish Church, Redmarley D’abitot, Worcestershire), born 1849 in Redmarley, Worcestershire, Tom a schoolboy was born in in the 4th quarter of 1883 in Hallaton, Leicestershire, his siblings were, twins, Louisa Elizabeth, a schoolgirl and George, a schoolboy, born 6th November 1879, Harry (Henry), a schoolboy, born on the 2nd August 1881, Ada, a schoolgirl, born 1886 and Maggie, born 1887, all his siblings were born in Hallaton, in April 1891 the family home was at Market Square, Hunts Lane, Hallaton. In March 1901 Tom was absent from the family home in Hallaton, residing there was his father, a shepherd, his mother and siblings, George, a shepherd, Harry, a shepherd, Maggie and Leonard, born 1900 in Hallaton. In April 1911 Tom was employed as a farm labourer and was residing in the family home in Hallaton, together with his father, a farm shepherd, his mother and siblings, George, a farm shepherd and Leonard a schoolboy.
Tom enlisted into the Regular Army on the 27th November 1915 in Market Harborough, and was allocated the service number 25676. He gave his place of birth as Hallaton, Leicestershire, his age as 31 years and 90 days, marital status as unmarried and trade or calling as bricklayer’s labourer.
He confirmed that he had previously served for 2 years with the Leicestershire Yeomanry and was discharged at the termination of the South African War with the South Africa Medal.
His medical examination recorded that he was 5 foot 6¾ inches in height, weighed 129 lbs and had a chest measurement of between 34 and 38 inches.
He gave his next of kin as his father, Samuel Neale, The Cross, Hallaton, Market Harborough..
During his period of military service the following events of note occurred:-
Attested. Private. 27/11/15.
To Army Reserve. Private. 28/11/15.
Mobilized. Private. 29/2/16.
Posted. Depot. Leicestershire Regiment. Private. 29/2/16.
Posted. 3rd Battalion Leicestershire Regiment. Private. 2/3/16.
Posted. 2nd Battalion Leicestershire Regiment. Private.
Embarked for Expeditionary Force. Devonport. 4/9/16.
Disembarked. Basrah. 28/9/16.
Joined Unit. In the Field. 20/10/16.
Wounded in action. In the Field. 28/11/16.
3rd B.G.H. Reported dangerously wounded (bomb wound) Thigh, leg and right foot. Basrah. 7/12/16.
3rd B.G.H. Died from wounds. Basrah. 8/2/17.
He was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
Tom’s surviving service record amounts to a total of twelve pages, and these are in poor condition with much of the hand written information relating to his army service in some cases barely legible, damaged or missing entirely, however the content does offer at least a little descriptive insight into the events that took place during his period of military service.
The War Diary records: 28 Nov-16. During the night the enemy’s snipers were not very active. A hostile aeroplane operated over the camp, and was observed returning to enemy’s lines pursued by one of our machines. Between 5 and 7.00pm a large number of Bombs were sent over by the enemy, estimated at about 2 large, 8 medium, and 20 small ones. Stokes Mortar Battery retaliated. The parapet and parados in one bay in EMPERORS TRENCH, damaged by large “Minnie” and one rifle and two men’s kits were damaged. A few rounds from Field Guns were also fired. No damage. Good hits were observed on the enemy’s trench by our Rifle grenades and Shell Bomb Guns. One man wounded by bomb in PRINCES TRENCH, and one man slight shell shock.
On Friday January 12th 1917 The Melton Mowbray Times & Vale of Belvoir Gazette published the following article under the heading. “LOCAL MEN IN THE CASUALTY LISTS” The following casualties were recorded in the official lists issued for publication on Monday:- WOUNDED. LEICESTERSHIRE REGIMENT. Neale 27676 T. (Hallaton).

Source: Leicestershire War Memorials Project.
Tom was born to Samuel Neale a shepherd and his wife Mary Ann. On leaving school he worked as a farm labourer. In February 1901 with the Second Boer War going badly, the government was forced to find reinforcements and so raised new Yeomanry Regiments. The local newspaper was full of stories and images and some Hallatonians who were serving from the outset brought back stirring tales of derring do, with a slide show in the Reading Room by J Atkins, who had served in South Africa as a medical orderly. Some dozen of Hallaton’s young men felt the call to join among them young Tom who joined 7th Squadron, 4th Battalion Imperial Yeomanry as private 28079. Fighting the “wily Boer” was hard and dangerous. They knew the terrain; they were crack shots and expert at bushcraft. They were a formidable enemy and in addition there was the intense heat, shortage of water and ever present threat of disease, particularly enteric fever which claimed many lives. But life had its lighter moments. The 4th B. IY had adopted a baboon “Adonse” as a mascot. Tom survived the conflict and returned home with the Queen’s South Africa Medal with clasps for Cape Colony, Orange Free State and Transvaal; South Africa 1901 and South Africa 1902. He had had an adventurous time. Life on return must have seemed tame by comparison with Tom now a hardened veteran, taking up employment as farm labourer and living at home. However on 27th November 1915 he was attested yet again as Private 25676 and being an old soldier, was posted to the 3rd Bn. Leicestershire Regiment and swiftly transferred to the 2nd Battalion. Once again he found himself in a campaign that was not going well. British forces had suffered severe defeats and humiliation at the hand of the Turks and 2nd Bn. Leicestershire Regiment had been shipped from India at the start of the war with a brief spell in France and then rushed via Egypt to Mesopotamia to stabilise the situation. Tom was in a draft of reinforcements and joined his unit in the field on 20th October 1916. The British having recaptured Kut Al Amara were pushing upstream to take Baghdad. Conditions were frightful. Freezing rain turned the desert into a swamp. Food, potable water and ammunition were in short supply because of the lack of suitable river transport and the Turks were still fighting fiercely contesting every mile of the way. On 28th November 1916 in one of the numerous encounters Tom received a very serious bomb wound in the thigh, leg and right foot and was taken to Basra Base General Hospital by ship, arriving there on 7th December after a horrendous journey. His leg had to be amputated and it was thought he was making progress but alas, he lingered on gravely injured and died of his wounds on 8th February 1917. He is commemorated on the Hallaton War Memorial and on Basra War Cemetery, Iraq.

Information kindly provided by Dennis Kenyon.