Lieutenant, 11th (Service) Battalion (Cardiff Pals), Welsh Regiment. Died, aged about 30, on 25 December 1919 at Constantinople (Istanbul), Turkey.
Lieutenant Thomas first served as Sarjeant, 6771, Royal Anglesey Royal Engineers. He entered France with them on 14 December 1914. He was commissioned on 11 March 1915.
The 11th Battalion was formed at Cardiff in September 1914 as part of K3. It moved to South Downs and was attached to the 67th Brigade in 22nd Division. It then moved to Hastings in December 1914 and onto Seaford in April 1915. During the May it went to Aldershot. After training the Battalion landed at Boulogne on 6 September 1915. It then moved down to Marseilles and sailed for Salonika on 30 October 1915, disembarking on 8 November 1915. The 22nd Division was involved in fierce fighting throughout the Salonika campaign until eventually an Armistice with Bulgaria was signed on 30 September 1918. By 18-20 October, units of the Division had marched back to Stavros. Here they embarked on destroyers with the intention of a landing at Dede Agach to continue the fight against Turkey. After one attempt was called off due to rough weather, the infantry finally landed on 28 October 1918. On reaching Makri, the Division learned that an armistice with Turkey was imminent. Demobilisation began at Chugunsi and the Division ceased to exist by 31 March 1919. The 22nd Division had suffered casualties of 7,728 killed, wounded and missing during the war but vastly larger numbers sick with malaria, dysentery and other diseases rife in the Salonika theatre.
His cause of death is not known. Istanbul was occupied by allied troops from November 1918 to September 1923. It is probable that Lieutenant Thomas served as part of this occupying force, having arrived with the 22nd Division after the armistice with Turkey. However, it is likely that he would have been attached to another unit other than the 11th Battalion, Welsh Regiment as this would have been disbanded along with the rest of the Division on or before March 1919.
In 1901, aged 12, he lived with his family at 12 Newry Fawr, Holyhead with his father, John Morgan Thomas (42) and Mary Frances Thomas (nee Clay) (35) together with his two brothers, William Oliver (10) and Thomas Hector (1). A servant, Katie Pritchard, also lived at the address. His father was born at Holyhead and was employed as a Marine Engineer. His mother originated from Barrow-in-Furness, Lancashire. In 1911 the family still resided at the same address, now with only two children, Thomas Hector and Gwendoline Thomas. The family later lived at Rocklands, Walthew Avenue, Holyhead.
Lieutenant Thomas' younger brother, William Oliver Thomas also served in the army, having enlisted in September 1914 into the Royal Engineers. He went to France in December 1914 and received a commission into the Royal Welsh Fusiliers in March 1915. He later joined the Royal Flying Corps as an Flying Officer Observer. In November 1917 he was awarded the Military Cross.
Lieutenant Thomas was awarded the 1914-15 Star, Victory Medal and British War Medal. Interestingly his Medal Index Card (MIC) lists his father's address as "SS Pick-Me-Up, Holyhead" - this being a small dredger used to maintain navigation channels and berths at Holyhead Harbour.
Buried in Haidar Pasha Cemetery, Istanbul, Turkey. Grave location I.H.16.