In 1914 when Thomas died, the Mexborough and Swinton Times reported him as being "the first Conisboro' man to lose his life in defense of his country". He died during the Battle of the Aisne, on the 23rd September 1914, having been deemed fit for service just two weeks earlier on the 8th September. He was awarded the Victory, British and 1914 Star medals. 


Thomas was born in Boston, Lincolnshire in 1879 to John Thomas and Jane Bemrose and he was one of nine children, being the second eldest boy. By the 1901 census he had moved to Doncaster, where he was oneof four boarders living at 58 Arthur Street, and was working as a Railway Engine Cleaner. 

In 1907, Thomas married Sarah Ann Hutchinson, the daughter of an agricultural labourer, and his junior by 7 years and in 1911 the family were living at 3 Dearne Street, Conisbrough, where Thomas worked as a coal miner. The couple have one child at this point; Margaret Dorothy. The newspaper records state him as being a father of three, so between 1911 and 1914 the couple had another two children however I cannot find any record of these. 

The battalion war diaries tell a long tale of woe on the 20th September 1914, which concluded on the 21st September with a toll of 7 officers killed, two officers wounded, seven officers missing, 71 other ranks killed, 110 other ranks wounded and an incredible 436 other ranks missing, possibly largely owing to many being taken prisoner by Germans. The date of Thomas’ death, 23rd September is a quiet day and so it can only be assumed that he was one of the 110 wounded, and died two days later from his wounds.

 

Thomas is commemorated on the La Ferte Sous Jouarre Memorial to the Missing, in France. We visited in April 2015.