Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Thomas was the son of William THOMAS & Elizabeth Ann LEWIS and was born on the 28th of August 1893 in Mumbles, Glamorganshire, Wales.

His parents were married in 1885 in Wales.

His father was the son of Edmund THOMAS & Hannah ROBERTS and was born in 1860 in Oystermouth, Glamorganshire, Wales.
His mother was the daughter of John & Mary LEWIS and was born in 1862 in Oystermouth, Glamorganshire, Wales.

Thomas was the fourth child born into the family of 8 children.

His father was a coal merchant and they lived in Mare Pool Street, Oystermouth, Wales.
They then moved to Castle Street in 1905 and then to 3 Windsor Place, Oystermouth by 1911.

At the age of 19, Thomas immigrated to South Australia on board the SS Wilcannia, arriving in March 1913.

Thomas moved to Jamestown where he gained employment with Mr William Napper as a farm labourer.

At the age of 21, Thomas enlisted into the AIF on the 13th of July 1915 in Keswick and allotted the service number 1577 and posted to M Group, 2nd Depot Battalion in Mitcham Camp.
Thomas was then posted to the 32nd Battalion, 1st Reinforcements, A Company on the 16th of August.

He embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT Geelong on the 18th of November 1915 at 11am and disembarked in Port Suez.
Thomas then embarked for France where he was wounded twice and then later captured and interned into a POW camp for 2 years before the war ended.

After the Armistice was signed he was finally repatriated back to England on the 1st of December 1918.
Before he embarked for Adelaide, Thomas visited his family in Wales.
Thomas embarked from England on the 5th of March 1919 on board HT Navasa and disembarked in Adelaide on ANZAC Day, the 25th of April.

Thomas returned to Jamestown and was discharged from the AIF on the 18th of June 1919.

He gained employment with the E & WS Water department at Gulnare, joined the Jamestown RSL and married Irene Gladys in July 1938.

They made their first home at 5 Cumnock Street, Jamestown and then moved to Houghton Street before moving to North Parade.

With the outbreak of WW2, aged 48, Thomas enlisted into the VDC (Volunteer Defence Corps) on the 27th of April 1942 in Jamestown and allotted the service number S73003 and posted to the 6th Battalion VDC.

He was taken on strength on the 18th of May 1942 and promoted to Lance Corporal on the 29th of October.
On the 23rd of July he was promoted to Corporal.
Thomas was discharged from the VDC on the 16th of October 1945 due to the disbandment of hit Battalion.

On Saturday the 10th of June 1950 Thomas and Irene drove to Adelaide where they met Thomas’s brother Albert.
Stanley had arrived at Outer Harbour on board SS Strathmore and this was the first time the brothers had seen each other for 31 years. Albert was a builder and contractor in Wales and had served in the Royal Navy during World War 1.

Albert returned to Jamestown with Thomas and Irene and lived with them and gained employment as a carpenter with the E & WS Water department.
He intended building a home and bringing his wife and family to Australia later.

Sadly, Albert died suddenly on Monday evening the 31st of July 1950 at Thomas and Irene’s home in North Parade, Jamestown, while listening to a radio programme. He was 54 years old and left a widow, five daughters and three sons, all of Swansea, Wales. Thomas buried him 2 days later in the Jamestown Cemetery; Section B, Row Z, Plot 21.

Thomas died on the 4th of December 1970 in Jamestown and was buried 2 days later in the Jamestown Cemetery; Section B, Row Z, Plot 21, next to his brother.

Eileen died on the 28th of May 1971 in Jamestown and is buried in the Jamestown Cemetery; Section B, Row Z, Plot 3.

Military

WW1

At the age of 21, Thomas enlisted into the AIF on the 13th of July 1915 in Keswick and allotted the service number 1577 and posted to M Group, 2nd Depot Battalion in Mitcham Camp.
He listed his mother, of 1 Clements Road, Mumbles, Glamorganshire, Wales as his next of kin.

Thomas was then posted to the 32nd Battalion, 1st Reinforcements, A Company on the 16th of August.
The 32nd Battalion had just been formed 7 days earlier as part of the 8th Brigade at Mitcham Camp.

On the 16th of September they 32nd Battalion were moved to Cheltenham Racecourse for further training and Musketry training at Pt Adelaide.
He embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT Geelong on the 18th of November 1915 at 11am.
They arrived in Port Suez harbour at 5am on the 14th of December and disembarked 4 days later at 7:30am and entrained for Moascar Camp.

The 8th Brigade joined the newly raised 5th Australian Division in Egypt and 8 days later Thomas and his Battalion moved to El Fendan Post where the spent Christmas 1915 before moving to Ismalia on the 21st of January 1916.
Three days later Thomas was taken on strength with A Company, 32nd Battalion and then on the 6th of February they entrained from Moascar Station for Tel-el-Kebir to complete further training & drill.

On the 23rd of March they entrained from Ismalia to Ferry Post Staging Camp and relieved the Auckland Battalion on Garrison Duty for 7 days before marching to Duntroon Plateau and then back to Ferry Post for more training.

Reveille sounded at 2:30am on the 28th of May and they marched out to Moascar Camp for Brigade Training.
After just over 2 weeks here they entrained for Alexandria at 8pm on the 16th of June, arriving at 3am the following morning.
Two hours later, at 5am on the 17th of June they boarded HMT Transylvania and embarked from Alexandria at 9am, disembarked in Marseilles at 9am on the 23rd and entrained for Hazebrouck at 2pm.
Two days later they arrived at Steenbecque Station and marched 3 miles to Morbecque Camp. Then on the 8th of July they marched 12 miles to Estaires before marching a further 7 miles to Erquinhem the following day.
On the 10th of July they marched to Rue de Delettree and then 4 days later they marched into their billets at Fleurbaix and were engaged in carrying ammunition from the DAC (Divisional Ammunition Column) to Brigade Dumps and rotating in the front line trenches.

At 5:53pm on the 18th of June they went over the parapet in their first battle.
The attack was a disastrous introduction to battle for the 32nd Battalion and they suffered 718 casualties, almost 75 per cent of their total strength, but closer to 90 per cent of its actual fighting strength.

It was during this attack on the morning of the 19th that Thomas suffered a Gun Shot Wound to his back and was admitted into the 8th Field Ambulance the following day before being transferred to the 8th Casualty Clearing Station at Bailleul on the 21st.
The following day he was transferred to the 3rd Canadian General Hospital in Boulogne and then invalided back to England on board HT St David and admitted into the 1st Southern General Hospital in Birmingham on the 27th of July.

After 8 weeks here Thomas was transferred to the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital in Harefield on the 26th of September for another week before being discharged to No.1 Command Deport in Perham Downs.
Thomas was then posted to the 8th Training Battalion in Camp No.15 at Codford on the 4th of October and ten days later he proceeded back to France.

On the 25th of October he rejoined his Battalion who were in training at Montauban-de-Picardie and then 3 days later they moved into the front line, into Scabbard Trench, near Gueudecourt.
The on the 31st they moved into Crest Trench, near Longueval and then onto Carlton Trench 4 days later.
They were relieved on the 9th of November and moved to Neuville-St Vaast for further training.
Nine days later they marched to buses, ½ mile from Vignacourt and embussed for Ribecourt.On the 19th of November they marched to H Camp at Montauban-de-Picardie and then the following day they moved to D Camp at Trones Wood, near Longueval.

The following day they relieved the 2nd Battalion Irish Guards in the front line trenches of Zenith & Spring Trenches and after a few days they moved back to H Camp at Montauban-de-Picardie.
They continued this rotation for the remainder of November and then whilst in camp on the 4th of December, Thomas was promoted to Lance Corporal.

They then moved back to Trones Wood the next day and then into the front line trenches at Le Transloy.
On the 8th of December, Thomas, along with 1 officer and 49 men raided Finch Trench and during this raid, Thomas went missing in the early morning of the 9th.

It was later discovered that Thomas had been captured on the night of the 8th and taken as a POW (Prisoner of War) and interned in the Gefangenlager, Limburg POW Camp in Germany. He had also suffered a Gun Shot Wound to his left arm.

On the 12th of January 1917 Thomas wrote home to his mother in Wales:-

Just a few lines to let you know that I am alright hoping you are all the same. It is over a month since I was taken prisoner and I am getting on fine. You will be able to answer this letter it may be a long time before I get it, but better late than never, and we are allowed to get a parcel sent from home.
So don’t forget if anyone would like to send me one, I would be glad of them.
I hope you enjoyed your Christmas and New Years as I did my best to enjoy mine.
I hope you will let the others know where I am.
I had a letter from Willie just before I was taken prisoner, so didn’t have a chance to answer it, also one from Arthur, I suppose they will be surprised when they hear where I am.

Dear mother, the weather at the time of writing is very cold with snow on the house tops and it has been wet this last few days. I do hope it will clear up for a time.
Dear mother, there is not much to write about and I hope you will get this letter alright and let them all know that I am well, hoping them are all the same.
I wonder how Willie likes it in France. I also hope that Arthur was home for Christmas. I hope to be there by next Xmas if all goes well.

Well I think this is all for the present hoping this will find you all in the best of health as it leaves me at present.
You will remember me to Uncle Joe and Aunt Polly and let Uncle Willie know as soon as you can, that I wish to be remembered to him.
Will close with love to all

Thomas remained in this POW camp for the next 2 years, until after the Armistice was signed and then he was finally repatriated back to England on the 1st of December 1918.

Thomas embarked from England on the 5th of March 1919 on board HT Navasa and disembarked in Adelaide on ANZAC Day, the 25th of April.

Thomas was discharged from the AIF on the 18th of June 1919 and awarded the 1914/15 Star, British War & Victory Medals.