“TOMMY ATKINS”
By James Robinson

To find the origin of, Thomas Atkins, we go back to the year 1843.A name typical of the British Private Soldier was required to use on a model sheet of the solders’ accounts to show where the men should sign, assumimg that they could write. It seemed an absurdly trivial matter, But the Duke Of Wellington was approached on the matter, The Iron Duke’ who was at that time 74 years of age, he searched his memory for the man who would best typify the dogged gallantry of Britain's private soldiers-men who swore such fearful oaths, accepted the lash and the enemies fire with fortitude, the desperate fight to hold Hougoumont; the assault up the rocky cliffs to Oporto; the flash of bayonets as they charged at Busaco; Badajoz; Assaye; and Seringipatam. The ‘Iron Dukes’ mind went back to his first Command-the 33rd regiment of foot. The 33rd had been bloodily engaged in hand to hand fighting, the ‘Duke’ watched as the wounded were carried away, every casualty in the 33rd represented a personal bereavement. As he stood over one of these wounded: the right hand man of the Grenadier Company, Private Thomas Atkins. A giant of a man, six feet three inches tall: twenty years service ;he could neither read or write; he was the best man-at-arms in the regiment. But for him the end was very near: a sabre had slashed his head, a bayonet had gone through his chest and shot through both lungs. The ‘Duke’ looked down on him, Atkins saw the sadness in his face.

‘It’s all right sir,’ said private Atkins.’ It’s all in the days work.’ Then he died.

The name said the Duke of Wellington ,to typify the British Soldier, The name is Thomas Atkins.