Private Thomas William Wilson, of Essendine, was a gamekeeper employed by Lord Kesteven before joining the army. He was born on 8 February 1882, and enlisted in the Army Service Corps on 17 July 1916, before being transferred to the Royal Engineers on 13 November. He went out to France on 21 April 1917, and was killed a little over a year later on 1 June 1918. He was struck by a piece of shrapnel from a shell of a British anti-aircraft gun, which pierced his heart. He was at the time guarding a dump of high explosives near Béthune. Thomas was buried in the cemetery at Labouvriere but his body was later moved to Sandpits British Cemetery, grave II.B.1, one of the prettiest in the Loos area. He was married and had three children and is remembered in Essendine church.