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Auction: 22103 - Orders, Decorations and Medals VII - e-Auction
Lot: 407

A poignant family group:

Three: 2nd Lieutenant C. R. Thomas, 11th Battalion, South Wales Borderers, attached 2nd Battalion, who was killed in action on 18 August 1918 in a sharp action outside Merris

British War and Victory Medals (2. Lieut. C. R. Thomas.); Great War Bronze Memorial Plaque (Cyril Raymond Thomas), polished, overall very fine

Four: 2nd Lieutenant N. L. Thomas, 1st Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers, attached 11th Battalion, who was killed in action on 18 September 1918 at the Third Battle of Doiran

1914-15 Star (16252 Pte N. L. Thomas. R.W.Fus:); British War and Victory Medals (2. Lieut. N. L. Thomas.); Great War Bronze Memorial Plaque (Noel Lavender Thomas), good very fine (7)

Cyril Raymond Thomas was born at Bilbao, Spain as a British Subject in 16 June 1898, the son of Octavius and Pheobe Thomas, his father worked for a coal shipping company. The family was a military one as Thomas' grandfather had been a Lieutenant with the 63rd Foot who had died at Solon, India having achieved the rare distinction of being promoted from the ranks in 1876. Attesting with the Artists Rifles as a reservist on 15 June 1916 Thomas was mobilised on 4 January 1917 as a Private with the number 10462. Recommended for a commission on 8 March 1917 he joined 'A' Company at Hare Hall Camp on an Officer Training Course.

Commissioned 2nd Lieutenant he joined the war in France on 7 March 1918 attached to the 2nd Battalion, South Wales Borderers. This unit saw heavy fighting in 1918 during the German Spring Offensive and the Hundred Days. Stationed at near Merris, Lille in August 1918 the unit was involved in the efforts to seize the Oultersteene Ridge. An attack was launched on 18 August 1918 to this effect which managed, despite fierce resistance to achieve the Ridge. A description of the attack in The History of the South Wales Borderers states:

'The success was so complete and so quickly achieved that the Germans never attempted any serious counter-attack and did not even interfere seriously with consolidation, only starting to shell Oultersteene vigorously after the attacking companies were well dug in. Nearly 140 Prisoners, including 5 officers, were taken, with 16 machine guns and 3 trench mortars, while substantial casualties were inflicted on the Germans. Considering the sharpness of the fighting the losses were not heavy, Second Lieutenants D. C. Dickinson and C. R. Thomas having been killed with 9 men, while Captain Roberts and 11 men were wounded.'

Thomas is buried at Borre British Cemetery, France; sold together with photographs of the recipients grave and original memorial scroll and copied research including M.I.C., Commonwealth War Graves details and Attestation as well as an Application for Commission and an extract from The History of the South Wales Borderers.

Noel Lavender Thomas was born at Newport, Monmouthshire on 10 December 1895, the son of Octavius and Pheobe Thomas. The eldest of his siblings, Thomas was born before the families spell in Spain and as such was educated in Wales at the Howard Gardens School, Cardiff. Enlisting with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers on 9 October 1914 at Cardiff with the service number 16252, Thomas was promoted Corporal on 1 March 1915 only to revert back to Private at his own request on 7 August.

Entering the war in France on 1 December 1915 he served with the 13th (1st North Wales) Battalion. While here he suffered a gunshot wound to his left arm on 19 February 1916, taken to 1 Casualty Clearing Station and transferred by 100 Field Ambulance to 12th General Hospital at Rouen. Fortunately the wound was not serious and he re-joined his unit on 14 March 1916. The 13th (1st North Wales) Battalion were heavily involved during the Somme Offensive at Mametz Wood. Thomas survived this trial also and on 27 June 1917 headed to England having had his application for a Commission approved.

Commissioned 2nd Lieutenant on 28 November 1917 Thomas joined 11th Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers on 24 June 1918 in Salonica. On the first day of the Third Battle of Dorian the 11th Battalion went into action alongside the 9th Battalion, Border Regiment but both failed to make progress against heavy Bulgarian resistance. A letter written to Thomas' brother by one of his comrades fills in the young officer's final moments:

'I have been on Brigade Hq. for some weeks so was not actually in the show, but saw all the boys a few hours before zero. Early on the morning of the 18th I intercepted a note coming in by a wounded man saying that Harris, Parker and your brother were together and wounded. Before the stretcher bearers got there Parker walked in, afterwards Harris died of wounds but your brother could not be found. The ground was searched many times then and since but nothing has been found.'

Despite this Thomas' body was eventually located and identified, with the Field Service report noting that he was killed in action in the field. He is buried at the Doiran Military Cemetery; sold together with original memorial scroll and copied research including census data, service papers and an application for Commission along with M.I.C., an extract from the Western Mail and Commonwealth War Graves details.

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Sold for
£450

Starting price
£210