Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Thomas Thorpe, a dyer and cleaner, born 1871 in Boston, Lincs., and his wife Ellen Thorpe (nee Moseley), born 1875 in Nottingham. Thomas Allan, was a needle maker and was born in 1897 in Loughborough, Leics., his siblings were, Grace Cecilia, an elastic trade weaver, born 1895, Charles Henry, a schoolboy, born 1899, Ethel Mary, a schoolgirl, born 1902 and Phyllis Ellen, born 1909, all his siblings were born in Loughborough, Leics., in April 1911 the family home was at 14, Mill Street, Loughborough, Leics. On Tuesday February 27th 1917 The Leicester Mercury published the following article under the heading. “LOCAL CASUALTIES” – The death in action on Feb. 13th has been notified of Pte. Allan Thorpe, of the Highland Light Infantry. He was 20 years of age, the son of Mr T. Thorpe, of Mill Street, Loughborough, and was in business for himself in Coalville as a dyer and cleaner prior to entering the army last year. On Thursday March 1st 1917 The Leicester Mercury published the following article under the heading. “ROLL OF HONOUR” - (A photograph accompanied the article).- Private Allen Thorpe, Highland Light Infantry. Killed Feb. 13th. Parents live in Mill Street, Loughborough. He was 20 years of age, and was in business as a dyer and cleaner at Coalville.

Source: Leicestershire War Memorials Project.
Coalville Times article - Friday March 2nd, 1917

News has been received that Private Thomas Allen Thorpe, of the Highland Light Infantry, was killed in action in France on February 13th. He was 20 years of age and single, and before the war managed the branch shop for a dye works in Ashby Road, Coalville, his parents being residents of Loughborough. The deceased soldier was a member of the St. Saviour’s Catholic Church, Coalville, and when he was last in Coalville on leave, he told Father Degan he was going into action, or about to face great danger, if he had not time to write, he would despatch two field post cards on the same day as an intimation. Father Degan received two such postcards on February 11th and now comes the news that Thorpe was killed on the 13th.

St Saviour’s Bulletin

Vol. 1. November 1928 No. 4.

Published by Father Degen, The Catholic Church, Coalville, Leicester

Price – One Penny.

St. Saviour’s Roll of Honour

Edward Henry Hunt.
Joseph Sheffield.
Francis Edward Stafford.
Harold Edwin Ketcher.
William Ducksbury.
Allan Thorpe.
George Herbert Saddington.
Arthur Lovell.
John Mulrooney.

How vain is the wealth of flowers,
How vain is the mourner’s wreath,
How useless the marble tombstone,
To the dust that lies beneath.

How futile the empty praises,
How futile the tears that fall,
The sable and crape of mourning,
How empty and vain are all!

The voice of the dead is calling,
All through the wealth of flowers,
Not for our grief and tears.

Our own, our lost, our lov’d ones,
Oh! Could we but hear them speak;
Prayer is the flower they ask for,
Prayer is the wealth they seek.

More dear than the flower-lit grasses-
The fragrant churchyard sod-
One prayer for their souls to Jesus,
One prayer to the heart of God.

We can open the gates of heaven
By the wondrous key of prayer,
That the suffering souls may enter
The joy that awaits them there.

Research undertaken and submitted by Andy Murby 19/10/2017