Died at 16, Dagmar Terrace (now Dagmar Road), Dorchester, and buried on the 20th of June 1916 in Fordington St George churchyard, Dorchester.
His gravesite is No. 593 in Fordington Cemetery, Dorchester, and now has a headstone commemorating a Mr Sidney Pitcher who died in 1962, aged 72 years and his wife who died in 1969, aged 83 years.
Whether the couple and he were relatives is not known, but it is more likely that the grave was opened again and used for other burials after a lapse of years.
"Death of a Balaclava Charge Veteran - Trooper Thomas Warr, 11th Hussars - Survivor of the "Noble Six Hundred."
In his 86th year, with his natural force abated by the wasting spell of time - but with all the glamour of participation in a glorious, and indeed, immortal episode of British military history, there passed away at his lodgings at No. 16 Dagmar Road, Dorchester, ex-Trooper Thomas Warr of the 11th Hussars (Prince Albert's Own) who rode in the famous charge of the Light Brigade behind Lord Cardigan. He had long been ailing and died on Thursday morning, (15th of June 1916.)
Thomas Warr, or "Old Tom", as he was referred to with affectionate familiarity by his cronies, was a native of Dorchester, being born in the Grove on the 28th of August 1830.
Of Warr's youth in Dorchester one interesting fact is that he was the first patient to be admitted to the then newly erected Dorset County Hospital in 1848, and the nature of his ailment must have foreshadowed his lot to "smell powder" a few years later, for he was at that time suffering from the effects of a gun-powder explosion.
Our townsman, Mr Thomas H. Rogers, of the Post Office, in an interesting sketch of Thomas Warr's life which he contributed to the 11th Hussar Journal of July 1913, described in a lively manner how Warr, at the age of 20, came to join this crack regiment called the "Cherrypickers" or "Cherrybums", sobriquets suggested by the colour of the pantaloons worn.
On August 5th, 1850, he was in London, and dropped into the "Hampshire Hog " in Charles Street, Westminster. Here, says Mr Rogers, he was eyed by six or seven Recruiting Sgts., who soon buttonholed him as a likely recruit.
Thomas Warr was so very much impressed by the smart appearance of the 11th Hussar wearing the crimson overalls and a sword, that he said "he didn't mind enlisting, but it must be in the same regiment as the man in the red trousers..."
So he "swallowed" the Queen's shilling, and joined the Regiment at Norwich. They were at Portobello Barracks, Dublin, when the Crimean War broke out and he embarked with his regiment at Kingstown for the Crimea.
He served with his regiment at the Alma, where his most vivid recollection was of seeing a gunner's head taken off by a Russian cannon-ball.
But the great incident in which Warr's name came to the fore was his participation in the Charge of the Light Brigade up the "Valley of Death" on October 25th 1854.
Of that most famous cavalry charge in history, thanks to Tennysons's pulse-stirring verses, Tom Warr always gave a vivid personal impression which carried with it the conviction of truth. This is how he described the Charge to Mr Rogers:
"We galloped up the plain near the village and pulled up near the mouth of the valley to await further orders.
Later on, Captain Nolan rode up with orders from Lord Raglan, passing them to Lord Lucan and he read them out to Lord Cardigan.
"Good God, can that be true," exclaimed the gallant leader of the Light Brigade.
Lord Lucan answered, "Yes. The Light Brigade will charge and take the Russian guns. I've got it here in black and white."
Without further demur Lord Cardigan placed himself at the head of his little force, crying, "The Light Brigade will advance", adding, "Here goes the last of the Brudenells".
We just trotted some distance down the valley and could see their cavalry retiring behind the guns. The artillery opened fire on us; but not until we were within a short distance of the guns did we break into a gallop.
As they rode through the guns he cut down a gunner, and to his astonishment found that the poor fellow had been chained to his gun. When the survivors of the charge rallied, they suffered severely from the fire of the Russian infantry.
Warr's charger was badly wounded and he had to lead it back to the rear, where it had to be shot. He himself escaped un-scathed, although bullets repeatedly skimmed near him. He was awarded the Crimean medal with the four clasps for Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman and Sebastopol and the Turkish medal.
The Veteran's Vernacular
"Old Tom's claim to have ridden in the Charge has been often and most very unfairly denied, and nothing has done so much to arouse his righteous anger. The reason for this probably was that having to walk back from the Russian guns leading his horse he was not present when the muster roll of the survivors was first called.
Old Tom, being the true son of Dorset that he was, spoke the dialect delightfully.
Mr. Harvey Pouncey, in preparing his illustrated lectures on Old Dorset and its Sailors and Soldiers, had an interesting interview with Warr, and records the veterans's words in his own racy vernacular.
In the sunshine outside the walls of the Old Union Workhouse I confronted the benevolent old gentleman gazing at me mildly through his spectacles. Stitched to his waistcoat were the pale blue medal ribbon and the Crimean and the pale crimson ribbon of the Turkish medals.
"Well, Tom, and where are your medals."
"Gone, years ago. I lost 'em up the road in sixty-three wen Fooks and Preedy wuz 'ung."
"They say you were not in the Charge, Tom,"
"Not in the Charge. 'Tis a lie. Certainly I were."
"Well, tell me about it then."
"We chagged right aboo the guns and then we retired on 'em. The vust man I cut down wuz a gunner in the artillery. I wuz right in among 'em. I wuz very nearly the vust in an' and the last out - not the last in an' the vust out! (With a chuckle at his own little joke.)
"While we wuz forming up ar'ter the charge the Rooshans opened fire on we. They wuz just aroun' the corner and out of sight. Lord Cardigan galloped off an' I followed on. They let drive at we an' we had to hook it, I can tell 'ee.
That's how it catched my hoss, Tom. He 'ad six shots in his near rump and I c'ant tell 'ee how many in the 'ams. He wuz fairly 'amstrung. 'Twer a near shave for meself too. There wuz a 'ole aboo the rear spoon of my saddle.
I got off Tom an' lead 'en back by the bridle-rein back up the 'ollow. It took 'bout an 'our to get 'en whome... and then he wuz so badly 'oled we had to shoot 'en...
In his lecture before the Dorset National Reserve in the autumn of 1912, Mr Pouncey suggested that subscriptions should be raised to replace Warr's lost Crimean medal. The matter was taken up by the then Mayor, Mr Joseph Porter and Major Stephen Willcock, then commanding the Dorchester Company of the Dorchester National Reserve, and the presentation of the medal gave the old gentleman much satisfaction.
For many years, Old Tom Warr, like so many others who deserved well of their country found a haven of rest in the Dorchester Workhouse, where they were cared for by the Master and Matron, Mr and Mrs. Brown. When the grant from the Patriotic Fund was supplemented over five years ago, it enabled him to be boarded out in comfort.
He had been living with Mr Mills at No. 16 Dagmar Road. Everything had been done to make the old gentleman comfortable, and Mr Brown had continued to look after his "financial affairs" and keep a kindly eye on him."
The Hero's Military Funeral
"Like an honoured guest.
With honour and with music - with soldier and priest."
Old Tom was borne to his last home on Tuesday afternoon. The military authorities granted the usual military honours and the commanding officer of Warr's old regiment paid him the signal honour of sending down six senior non-commissioned officers to act as bearers and the Trumpet-Major to sound the "Last Post".
Major Worth, commanding the Royal Defence Corps, had also allowed the fine band of the Corps to attend under Sergeant-Drummer J. Honey, and also provided the firing party from the Gloucestershire Regiment, while a large body of the National Defence Corps amd of the Dorset Regiment followed the body, under the command of Major Yorke.
At 2.30, in the presence of a large interested and reverent crowd, the door of No. 16 Dagmar Terrace was opened for the passing of Thomas Warr for the last time, and as the coffin, draped with the Union Jack, was brought out and placed upon the hand-bier, the firing-party presented arms, and then coming from the slope to the reverse, moved forward to the head of the cortege.
The bearer party of the 11th Hussars took up their positions on either side of the coffin, in front of which walked Mr Evan C. Dobell, (Principal of Messrs. Dobell and Sons.)
The members of this party were Squadron Sergeant-Majors J. Gardner, T.C. Thompson, and C. Mitchell and Squadron-Quartermaster Sgts. E.K. Edwards, R. Smith and J. Lee, with Trumpet-Major Curran.
In a mourning carriage rode Mr Charles Coward, a member of the Dorchester Board of Guardians, who had always shown a kindly interest in the deceased and had always assured him he would have a worthy funeral, Mrs. Alfred Mills, who with her husband had cared for him in his last days, and Mr William Thomas, of No. 4 Damers Road.
Mr. G.H. Brown, the Master of the Dorchester Poor Law Institution, was very sorry, owing to his absence from Dorchester through ill-health was not able to attend and pay a last mark of respect to his late protege; but he was represented by Mrs, Brown and his son, Sapper R.H. Brown, R.E., and his daughter, Miss Dorothy Brown.
There walked in the procession, Mr Stephen G. Holt, the basket-maker, for whom Tom Warr had worked for 18 years, Mr Alfred Mills, his last landlord, and Mr and Mrs. Cox, (also attending the funeral) with whom he used to lodge at No. 7 Dagmar Road..
No relatives of Warr were present, but their lack was amply made up by the loyal devotion of his friends and comrades.
A touching figure in the procession was an octogenarian veteran of the Crimean War of 1854-55, walking in a tight buttoned frock-coat and a silk hat - Mr James Elsey, formerly of Poole, and now at the age of eighty residing with his son, Mr James Elsey, of No. 5 Foundry Buildings.
He had served, with the rating of Boy, First Class, aboard H.M.S. "Hawke" - a line-of-battle ship, and bore upon his breast the Baltic medal with its silken ribbon of lemon yellow.
But Mr Elsey was not the only Dorset veteran of eighty years of age or thereabouts, at the funeral. There was also to be seen Private A. Wyborn of the Rifle Brigade wearing his Crimean and Turkish medals.
Mr Francis William Ayres, who at the time of the Crimea was a drill-sergeant in the Dorsets and afterwards joining the senior service, fought in the China War of 1860 and ex-Sergeant E. Rhoades, R.H.A. of the Indian Mutiny and Abyssinian campaigns.
Amongst the Dorsets at the funeral was Lance-Corporal Mullins, D.C M. and the Legion of Honour.
In slow time, with the band playing the Dead March in "Saul", the procession set forth bearing the old Hussars's body gravewards to Fordington St George church. The route taken was down the Great Waxen Road, up South Street, down High East Street and up Fordington Hill, the whole route being thickly lined with the populace.
At the church the body was received by the Revd. John Ayres, Assistant-Priest of St Mary's, West Fordington, who conducted the burial service.
At the graveside, after the Benediction had been pronounced, the firing party fired the prescribed three volleys into the air and then, arms having been presented, the cavalry trumpet which blew the "Charge" [sic] at Balaclava plaintively breathed the "Last Post" over the gallant old trooper who had survived for 62 years "his return from the jaws of death, back from the mouth of hell."
