Thomas Baker Brown
Find out what it was like to be a First World War soldier using the archive of Thomas Baker Brown, a soldier from North Shields.
Thomas Baker Brown - a First World War soldier from North Shields
The archive of Thomas Baker Brown is rich in primary sources dating from the First World War and includes letters, postcards and artefacts.
Below are some suggestions as to how you can us these resources with Key Stage 3 students to explore what it was like to be a First World War soldier.
Teacher Resource Pack
"A Local Tommy"
Our teacher resource pack has been created by Newcastle University Education Outreach team and Cap-a-Pie Theatre Company, to provide a mix of History, English and Drama activities for you to recreate in your classroom.
Training Camp
- From a letter from Thomas Baker Brown to his father, 29 Feb 1915
Training was hard work, as this letter from Thomas to his father shows - From a letter from Thomas Baker brown to his mother, 8 December 1915
Thomas reassures his mother that he adjusting to life at the training camp - From a letter from Thomas Baker Brown to his father, 8 December 1915
Thomas describes a typical day of training to his father - From a letter from Thomas Baker Brown to his father, 23 December 1915
Thomas talks about the weather and his training
Trenches
- From a letter from Thomas Baker Brown to his mother, 28 September 1916
Thomas writes about the weather - From a letter from Thomas Baker Brown to his father, 8 November 1916
Thomas writes about the rain and mud - From a letter from Thomas Baker Brown to his mother, 11 November 1916
Thomas reassures his mother that he is keeping warm - From a letter from Thomas Baker Brown to his father, 12 November 1916
Rain and mud feature again in this letter home - From a letter from Thomas Baker Brown to his father, 9 December 1916
Thomas describes the muddy conditions in the trenches - From a letter from Thomas Baker Brown to his father, 13 January 1917
Thomas compares the weather in France to that back home in North Shields - From a letter from Thomas Baker Brown to his mother, 27 May 1917
Thomas talks about people getting a 'Blighty', an injury bad enough to get you sent home - From a letter from Thomas Baker Brown to his mother, 1 November 1917
Thomas is grateful to receive food parcels from home - From a letter from Thomas Baker Brown to his father, 29 December 1917
Thomas tells his father about his Christmas dinner
Prisoner of War and Coming Home
- From a letter from Thomas Baker Brown to his father, 27 March 1918
Thomas notifies his father that he has been taken prisoner - From a letter from Thomas Baker Brown to his father, 8 April 1918
Thomas tells his father he can write to him in the P.O.W. camp - From a letter from Thomas Baker Brown to his family, 12 April 1918
Thomas reassures his family that, despite, being taken prisoner, he is ok - One side of envelope which contained a letter sent from Thomas to his family
From the POW camp in Dulmen, 12 April 1918. Thomas' letters home were censored. - Other side of envelope which contained a letter sent from Thomas to his family
From the POW camp in Dulmen, 12 April 1918. This showed Thomas' family lived in North Shields. - Telegram from Thomas Baker Brown to his father, 21 November 1918
Thomas informs his family that he'll soon be home