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Private, 19541, 455 Protection Company, Royal Defence Corps (formally 20383 Royal Welsh Fusiliers). Died of illness, aged 48, on 24 June 1918 at Holyhead, on Home Service.
The Royal Defence Corps was a corps of the British Army formed by Royal Warrant on 20 March 1916. It was initially formed by converting the (Home Service) Garrison battalions of line regiments and incorporating the National Reserve. Garrison battalions were composed of soldiers either too old or medically unfit for active front-line service; the Home Service status indicated they were unable to be transferred overseas. Eighteen battalions were converted in this way. The role of the regiment was to provide troops for security and guard duties inside the UK by guarding important locations such as ports or bridges. It also provided independent companies for guarding prisoner-of-war camps. The regiment was never intended to be employed on overseas service. It is probable as an old soldier (previous service in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers) that Private Thomas was a member of the National Reserve.
Born on 2 February 1870, the son of John and Mary Thomas. In 1901 he lived with his widowed mother, Mary Hughes (71) at the Ship and Castle, 2 Stanley Terrace, Holyhead where she was the Publican. He was employed as a Seaman, aged 32 and was unmarried. He enrolled in the RNR in December 1895 and was removed from the lists in January 1914. At the time of his death he was living at 27 Baker Street, Holyhead. Previously in 1881 he had lived, aged 9, at the Lord Edward Inn, Swift Square, Holyhead with his mother, Mary Hughes and step-brothers Thomas (19), a Boilermaker and William Rees (16) a Seaman. His mother was the Publican of the Inn. It would seem that his mother had probably been married at least three times. Her first husband's surname was Rees. She married her second husband John Thomas in 1868. She was still married to her third husband (Hughes) in 1881.
No record of Service Medal awards could be found.
Buried in Holyhead (Maeshyfryd) Burial Board Cemetery. Special memorial. The CWGC gravestone records that he is buried in the church portion of the cemetery. The exact location of his grave is unknown.
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