Captain Tom facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Captain Sir Tom Moore
British Army photo of Moore as a second lieutenant (c. 1941)
Born	Thomas Moore (1920-04-30)30 April 1920 Keighley, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
Died	2 February 2021(2021-02-02) (aged 100) Bedford, Bedfordshire, England
Cause of death	COVID-19 complicated by pneumonia
Alma mater	Keighley Grammar School
Occupation	Army officer Managing director
Known for	World War II veteran 2020 NHS Charities Together fundraising walk UK No. 1 single
Spouse(s)	Billie ​ ​ (m. 1949, divorced)​ Pamela ​ ​ (m. 1968; died 2006)​
Children	2
Awards	Pride of Britain Yorkshire Regiment Medal Knight Bachelor
Military career
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1939–1946
Rank	Captain Honorary Colonel, Army Foundation College (from April 2020)
Unit	Duke of Wellington's Regiment 145th Regiment Royal Armoured Corps 146th Regiment Royal Armoured Corps
Battles/wars	World War II Burma Campaign Battle of Ramree Island

Sir Thomas Moore (born 30 April 1920 – died 2 February 2021) was an amazing British man. People knew him as Captain Tom. He was a former officer in the British Army. He became famous for his incredible charity work.

Captain Tom served in India and the Burma campaign during World War II. After the war, he taught about armored warfare.

Captain Tom's Early Life and Career

Thomas Moore was born in Keighley, a town in West Riding of Yorkshire, England. After serving in the war, he worked as a managing director for a concrete company. He also enjoyed motorcycle racing!

Captain Tom's Amazing Fundraising Walk

In April 2020, when Captain Tom was 99 years old, he started a special challenge. He decided to walk laps around his garden. His goal was to raise money for NHS Charities Together. This charity helps the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK. The NHS was working very hard during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Captain Tom wanted to raise £1,000 before his 100th birthday. But his story touched so many hearts! By April 27, he had raised over £29 million. This was an incredible amount of money!

He also helped record a song called "You'll Never Walk Alone". This song became number one on the UK music charts. This made him the oldest person ever to have a number one song!

Captain Tom Becomes a Knight

Because of his amazing efforts, Queen Elizabeth II made him a knight. This happened on July 6, 2020. From then on, he was known as Sir Tom Moore.

In December 2020, Captain Tom and his family went on a holiday to Barbados. British Airways paid for his flight as a special gift.

Books About Captain Tom

There are some wonderful children's books written about Captain Tom.

• "One Hundred Steps: The Story of Captain Sir Tom Moore" was written by Captain Sir Tom Moore himself.
• "Captain Tom" is part of the "Little People, Big Dreams" series. It is number 51 in the series and was written by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara.

Captain Tom's Final Days

On January 31, 2021, Captain Tom went to Bedford Hospital. He had tested positive for COVID-19 and was also being treated for pneumonia. Sadly, he passed away on February 2, 2021, at the age of 100.

Images for kids

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  Moore as a second lieutenant in the British Army (around 1941)

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  Tom Moore after WWII (front middle)

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  Medal ribbon of the York Medal

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  A special postmark from Royal Mail honoring Captain Tom Moore

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  A Hawker Hurricane plane, like those used in a special flypast for Captain Tom

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  A train named Captain Tom Moore by GWR

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  Ribbon for the Knight Bachelor award

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  Ribbon for the 1939-45 Star medal

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  Ribbon for the Burma Star medal

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  Ribbon for the Defence Medal

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  Ribbon for the War Medal

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  A portrait of Captain Tom painted by Nathan Wyburn using his feet

See also

In Spanish: Tom Moore (militar) para niños