Story: Saleema Imam
Alan Billam who spent much of his life in Grimesthorpe has published a book in memory of his father— its a limited edition of 200 copies.
The book begins and ends with an account of his father Thomas Anthony Billam’s experiences in the First World War. Born in Crookes, on January 5th1895 he was the 9th of 13 children. He joined the army in December 1915 and was stationed at Catterick camp, N. Yorks, with the machine gun corps.
Little is known of the next two years because many military records were destroyed during the blitz in the Second World War. However on Christmas Eve, 1917, he married Laura Lockwood at St Thomas’s church, Brightside, and moved to live with her in Brightside Lane. He subsequently transferred to the Tank Corps.
At the end of the war Thomas Anthony Billam – T’ant to his friends, was involved in the occupation of the Rhine, mostly in Cologne. He and Laura set up home in Ruthin Street and two years later moved to Grimesthorpe Road and, not long before his death in 1978, to a flat on the Whiteways estate.
The majority of the book is a detailed history of the 12th Battalion of the Tank Corps, comprising a miscellany of photographs, maps, facsimiles of military war diaries and other war records.
Photographs towards the end of the book are more personal, depicting Thomas Anthony Billam’s war medals and badges, postcards sent home and visits to war graves at Serre by his grandson.
To buy a copy of the book contact Alan Billam on 01522 811 177
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