Father: Frederick Lewis Dibblee (1837-1888)
Mother: Emily Binney (1837-1899)
Dates: 1876-1933
Tom Arnold Dibblee was born in Karachi, India.
In the 1891 census, Tom Dibblee, aged 14, is living with his mother Emily Dibblee, and his sisters Jane and Bessie, and brother Frederick, in Bedford.
Oxford and Cambridge Examination 1892 says that T A Dibblee of Bedford Grammar School got Lower certificate (equivalent to modern O level).
Tom's mother, Emily, died in 1899. In the 1901 census, Tom Dibblee, aged 24, is now living in the household of his brother George Dibblee, with his sister Bessie in Didsbury, Chorlton, Lancashire.
There is a photo of Manchester University Physical Laboratories, dated 1895 (see below). There is a (young) T A Dibblee in it.
Tom Dibblee also got a medal, the Territorial Force Efficiency mwedal, for 12 years service. His Territorial Army discharge specifies 2 years, ending in 12 April 1910.
Electoral Regsiters of 1906-1909 (see below) show that Tom was living in Gunter Grove, Chelsea, London, in rented accomodation.
The census of 1911 (see below) shows him living in Heaton Chapel, Cheshire, in rented accomodation. It describes him as a Photograver Printer.
Tom travelled to New Zealand, leaving London on May 23, 1914, on the ship Rotorua (see below). The family story was that he wanted to join up, but his job was a reserved occupation, and he was forbidden to. So he resigned from the Post Office, emigrated to New Zealand, and joined as a private there. However, this voyage was before Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assasinated, on 28 June 1914 - the start of World War I. Also Tom Arnold Dibblee didn't join the New Zealand army until 24 June 1916. (In January 1916 the Military Service Act was passed, bringing in conscription in New Zealand.)
Tom attended and passed some electrical courses in 1914 in New Zealand (see below). These presumably gave him qualifications to work as an electrician in New Zealand. His army record describes his previous job as working for "N Z Railways".
Click here for Tom's army record. He saw service in France. When the war was over, he returned to England.
Tom's death certificate said he died on 17th January 1933 at Fulham Hospital, aged 56. He was a Printer's Electrician, at 14 Richmond Gardens, Hammersmith. His sister, Bessie M. Dibblee was present at the death. There's an address of 134 Holland Road, W14, so presumably they were living together. She later died at that address.
From Manch Phys Dept reports:
This says that Tom served in the Territorial Force of the County of London, from 15 June 1908 to 12 April 1910, and was discharged at his own request. Tom Dibblee also got a medal, the Territorial Force Efficiency mwedal, for 12 years service. Round the edge, it says "2567 Pte. T.A.Dibblee 1/Cnty of London Yeo.". In his army record, Tom says that he spent 15 years in the Home Volunteers and Yeomanry, England. This Territorial Force discharge only specifies 2 years, but he must have served in a different group before that.
  
|
|
| Name | Tom Arnold Dibble |
| Sex | Male |
| Age | 34 |
| Event Date | 1911 |
| Event Place | Heaton Chapel, Cheshire, England, United Kingdom |
| Sub-District | Heaton Norris |
| Registration District | Stockport |
| Birth Year (Estimated) | 1877 |
| Birthplace | India Sind Resident |
| Marital Status | Single |
| Occupation | PHOTOGRAVER PRINTER |
| Industry | GENERAL PRINTER |
| Relationship to Head of Household | Boarder |
This says that Tom served in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, from 24 Junly 1916 to 5 April 1919, and was discharged because of Demobilisation. He served 2 years 256 days, of which 2 years 142 dys were abroad.
From New Zealand archives
This gives his character as "very good", and says that he was wounded (gassed) in France 10 Aug 1917 (one gold strip). See Report of casualty above.
Tom Dibblee had the British War Medal ("Squeak"), and the Victory Medal ("Wilfred"). He didn't get the 1914-15 Star ("Pip"), as he didn't join up until 1916. See the medals of his brother Frederick junior for the explanation of the nicknames.
This was among the family photos. The note on the back shows that it was originally attributed to Binney Dibblee, but corrected in a note by my father, John Dibblee (Tom would have been his uncle, but I don't know if he ever met him). Priscilla was Binney's youngest daughter. I was cautious about this at first, and I thought he looked different to the photos above. But the photographer had a branch at Stockport, and we know from the census (above) that Tom was living there in 1911, when he was 34.
This photo was in Tom Dibblee's paybook, and looks like his squad, but I don't know if he's in the photo.
© Jo Edkins 2023 - Return to Dibblee index
