Seth Thomas, Royal Welsh Fusiliers

Private, 5867, 2nd Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Died of wounds, aged 17, on 10 August 1915 at the Western Front.

At the outbreak of war the 2nd Battalion was located at Portland and on 11 August 1914 it landed at Rouen as Lines of Communication troops. On 22 August 1914 it was attached to 19th Infantry Brigade, which was not allocated to a Division but was an independent command at this time. On 12 October 1914 it transferred with the Brigade to the 6th Division, then to the 27th Division on 31 May 1915. On 19 August 1915 it transferred with the Brigade to the 2nd Division. On 25 November 1915 it transferred with the Brigade to 33rd Division. It finally joined the 38th (Welsh) Division as part of 115th Brigade on 6 February 1918. When Private Thomas served with the Battalion it was part of 19th Brigade, 27th Division.

Born at Holyhead on 13 January 1897, he joined the 3rd Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers on 31 August 1914, 27 days after war was declared. He lied about his age and said he was 19 years and 231 days old. At enlistment he measured 5'-3 3/4" in height and weighed 113 lbs (just over 8 st.). On 24 October 1914 he was transferred to the 12th Battalion, RWF. During the time he spent in the UK he came up against army authority a few times. Offences including missing church (he was registered as a Methodist), being improperly dressed, and on two occasions being absent from Tatoos, for one of which he was missing for over 3 days. On 29 July 1915 he embarked at Southampton and entered France at Le Havre the following day. At some point he was transferred to the 2nd Battalion RWF. The exact date is not recorded in his Service Record, which might suggest that this was a hurried change, probably to make up a group of replacements. The 2nd Battalion was located close to Lavantie, France and on 4 August moved to relieve the Middlesex Regiment at the front line facing Rue Tilleloy. Private Thomas was one of 25 replacements that joined the Battalion in the line on 5 August. Over the next few days the Battalion War Diary mentions regular exchanges of fire with the German infantry opposite. On 9 August 1915 the War Diary records, "Quiet day - machine gun located. Rgo fired a salvo at 8pm at suspected position which appears to have the desired effect as it did not fire again - one man wounded". The Battalion was relieved the next day and moved back to their billets at Lavantie. It is probable that the wounded man was Private Seth Thomas, who died of his wounds the following day at the 19th Field Ambulance. His service in the front line trenches lasted only 4 days. His gravestone records his age as 17 years old and is engraved at the base - "One of the best".

Born at Holyhead the son of Robert and Lydia Thomas (nee Thomas) of 5 Vulcan Street, Holyhead. In 1901 he lived at 24 Edmund Street, Holyhead with his widowed maternal grandfather, Seth Thomas (68), mother Lydia (29) and brothers Robert John Thomas (6) and David (1). His parents had married in 1894 in West Derby, Liverpool. It is probable that his father was at sea at the time of the census. By 1911 the family had moved to 5 Vulcan Street, Holyhead. During the war his father, Robert Thomas, served in the Royal Naval Reserve (RNR) until invalided out in March 1917. His older brother, Robert John Thomas, also served with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers before transferring to the Hussars and the Imperial Camel Corps at the Egyptian Theatre of War.

Private Thomas' Service Record contained correspondence between a Holyhead firm of solicitors, Moreton, Pritchard & Jones and the Infantry Records Officer at Shrewsbury. The solicitors were acting on behalf of Private Thomas' father, Robert Thomas. The correspondence concerned the activities of an Evan G Owen, who was arranging life insurance for soldiers of the town and then paying them a "few shillings" to have any payouts from the insurance assigned to him. It was believed that Evan Owen benefited by more than £21 on the death of Private Thomas. The Records Officer confirmed that a Evan G Owen had written to him for confirmation of death, probably after scaning casualty lists in local papers. The solicitors were keen to stop the practice and press for the procecution of Evan Owen for "fraud". They said he was gambling on the lives of local soldiers. It is not known what ensued.

Awarded the 1914-15 Star, Victory Medal and British War Medal.

Buried in Estairs Communal Cemetery and Extension. Grave location III.A.10

Photograph of Seth Thomas' Grave supplied by Mick McCann of British War Graves http://britishwargraves.co.uk/