We know little about Thomas Aisbitt but we do know that at the age of 42 in July 1917 he was sent to Usworth Army camp by the Newcastle on Tyne Tribunal for refusing to report as instructed.

At the camp he refused to sign his Army papers and was promptly court martially and sentenced to 2 years hard labour in Wormwood Scrubs. He appealed against the sentence and the Central Tribunal sitting in Wormwood Scrubs classified him as a genuine CO. In November he was transferred to the Home Office Scheme in Knutsford where we lose sight of him.

We also know that Thomas was a lifelong communist, indeed he was one of the founding members of the Communist Party. As a young man before the war he was secretary of the Chester-le-Street International Labour Party where he also helped to found Chester-le-Street trades council. He was a Woodworkers’ Union delegate to Newcastle trades council for more than 40 years.

Dave Atkinson, a long time friend said of Thomas “He was a marvellous man with an unswerving loyalty to, and belief in, the working class.”

Thomas, mostly known as Tom died on the 28th June 1954. According to relatives his funeral was "attended by the cream of British communist".