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203010 6th Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders
Thomas Currie, (known in the family as Ted, after his maternal grandfather) was the only son of Joseph and Clara Elizabeth Currie. His mother was a member of the Hills family, who were watchmakers and Jewellers in Friars Street. She married Joseph, who was working as a grocer in Ipswich in January 1895 at Trinity Chapel in Friars Street. The young couple moved to Joseph’s native town of Glencable, Dumfriesshire in Scotland, where Ted was born on 23 August 1898. His father Joseph died of tuberculosis when Ted was only a few months old. Shortly after, Clara returned with Ted to Sudbury to live with her family at 74 Friars Street. She later moved to 2 Louth Villas in Melford Road to work as housekeeper for Mr. Edward Vinnicombe, who was a music teacher and organist.
When war was declared Ted was working for a confectioner on Market Hill, which is now Market Hill Photographers. He was underage when he enlisted in Bury St. Edmunds. The 6th Battalion formed part of 152nd Brigade, 51st (Highland) Division. In 1918 the Division saw action during the German Spring Offensive at the Battles of St Quentin (21 – 23 March) and Bapaume (24 – 25 March). At the beginning of April the division was sent to the Bethune area where it was hoped it would be relatively quiet but the enemy opened their second phase of their offensive on 9 April and the Highland Division played a key part in beating off incessant attacks but at a high cost. It is known that Ted was wounded three times whilst with his battalion; he may have been wounded during this action.
At the beginning of May 1918 the battalion was at Oppy, near Arras where it had a relatively quiet spell until 11 July. On 20 July the Division took part in the Allies successful counter offensive at the Battle of the Marne (20 July – 2 August) at Tardenois where they fought for the Ardre valley.
Ted was killed in action aged 19 on 23 July 1918. There is no known grave, and he is remembered on the Soissons Memorial, Aisne, France. He was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal. A Cross of Remembrance was laid close to his name on the Memorial in September 2016.
Ted is remembered on the Scottish National War Memorial in Edinburgh Castle and on the Trinity Congregational Church Memorial which was moved to the United Reformed Church, School Street when Trinity closed. The United Reformed Church closed in 2017 and it is proposed that the memorials from both churches will be relocated to the Sudbury Cemetery Chapel.
His cousin Edward Hills, also known as Ted lost his life serving with the Suffolk Regiment in 1917 and is remembered on the Sudbury War Memorial.
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