Archibald Tonkin – Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, Hood Battalion, Royal Naval Division

Able Seaman Archibald Tonkin – Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, Hood Battalion, Royal Naval Division

Early Life and Family Background

Archibald Tonkin was born in 1893 in Exeter, Devon, the son of Henry Tonkin and Thurza Ann Stentiford, who had married in 1878 at Chulmleigh, Devon.

1901 Census

The 1901 Census records the Tonkin family living at 8 Commins Building, Heavitree, Devon. Henry, aged 42, was employed as a Carter for a Haulier, while his wife Thurza A., aged 43, managed the household. Their children at this time were Annie (19), a washwoman; Bertie (16), a driver for a dairy; Everet (13); Archie (11); and Daisy (5).

1911 Census

By the 1911 Census, the family had relocated to 2 Hill Farm Cottage, Sketty, Swansea. Henry, now 49, continued working as a Carter, and his wife Thurza Ann, aged 51, remained at home. Two of their children were still living with them: Archibald, aged 18, employed as a Carter, and Daisy, aged 15. Also present in the household were their son‑in‑law Robert Campbell, aged 25, and his young son, also named Robert, aged 5.

Military Service

Archibald later enlisted in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve and served with the Hood Battalion, part of the Royal Naval Division. By October 1918, the battalion was engaged in the final Allied advance through Belgium during the closing phase of the First World War. The Hood Battalion supported operations pushing eastward toward the River Scheldt, taking part in movements that contributed to the liberation of occupied Belgian towns. Conditions were extremely difficult: supply lines were stretched, the weather deteriorated, and the devastating spread of influenza and disease caused heavy losses throughout the division. It was during this period of intense operational pressure and widespread illness that Able Seaman Archibald Tonkin fell ill and died on 26^th October 1918, only weeks before the Armistice.

Death in the First World War

British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records

Archibald Tonkin
Braine‑le‑Comte Communal Cemetery, Hainaut, Belgium
credit - findagrave

Able Seaman Archibald Tonkin died from disease on 26^th October 1918, only weeks before the Armistice. His death is formally recorded in the British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records, which document the losses suffered by naval personnel during the final months of the war. He is buried at Braine‑le‑Comte Communal Cemetery, Hainaut, Belgium, where his grave stands as a lasting testament to his service and sacrifice