Tom Kelk from Keighley was shipped to Canada in 1910 under the British Home Children scheme at the age of 10, to be sold to a farmer for $5. 

'Home Children' was the child migration scheme founded in 1869, under which more than 100,000 children were sent from the United Kingdom to Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and South Africa. In one early review of the scheme by The London Board of Governors, it was reported that:

"...thousands of British children, already in painful circumstances, were cast adrift to be overworked or mistreated by the settlers of early Canada who were generally honest but often hard taskmasters..."

Tom was an indentured worker until he was 16; 'indentured servitude' being a form of labour in which a person is contracted to work without salary for a specific number of years.

Desperate to return to the UK and be reunited with his older siblings, at the age of 14 he ran away from the farm and joined the Canadian Mounted Rifles Regiment (service no.124506).

At the recruiting office, to ensure enrolment, he lied about his name and pretended to be his older brother's best friend, John Foy (who died in 1977). At this time Tom stood 5' 2"  in height and weighed a malnourished 6 stone.  

Tom was eventually shipped to France and to the front line where he sadly died a few weeks before the war ended. He is buried at Le Bouchoir cemetery close to the site of his death (trench map Rosieres 66E K8).

Tom's pay had been sent to his sister Lily Kelk and after his death, notice of his sad loss was also sent to Lily. 

After much research we have 100% proof that Tom took on John Foys name and are desperate to get his grave amended.

Tom was one of many who joined up underage and died making the ultimate sacrifice. Research led me to the area of Canada he was sent to and eventually the very farm he was placed on. The family still own the farm and an elderly aunt remembered Tom's story. The community took Tom to their heart and raised funds for a memorial banner to be displayed, with other war casualties, in memory.

Tom is our great uncle and it has been a privilege to be able to tell the story of a young man who instead of coming home headed to France and gave his life for our future.