CWGC thanks Noonans Mayfair Ltd for this story.

Fred Thomas was born at Bodmin, Cornwall, in 1877 and attested for the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry at Truro on 29 November 1899. He served with the 2nd Battalion in South Africa during the Boer War from 16 August 1900 to 25 August 1902, and transferred to the Army Reserve on 28 November 1907.

He was discharged on 28 November 1911.

Following the outbreak of the Great War, Thomas was recalled from the Special Reserve and served with the 1st Battalion, Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry on the Western Front from 27 December 1914. For the next two years the Battalion was present during some of the heaviest fighting, notably at Ypres in April 1915, and at High Wood on the Somme in July 1916

He was awarded the Military Medal (M.M.) for his gallantry during an enemy trench raid carried out by “A” Company on the night of 6-7 February 1917, the Company report stating:

‘The raiding parties consisted of 4 officers and 109 other ranks, with the Lewis Gun teams employed for flank protection. Each main party was sub-divided into small groups usually consisting of not more than 8 other ranks. Each small group was allotted a special objective and had been carefully trained to find their way to it....

On the night of the assault the moonlight was brilliant as the parties left the trenches at Zero hour minus one minute. The right party was immediately observed by the enemy who opened heavy rifle fire and a barrage of trench mortar bombs on the north of Mill Crater, and several men were hit. Our barrage opened exactly at Zero hour and effectually crushed the enemy opposition, although during the whole time the raiding parties were in the trench the enemy kept up a barrage of L.T.M. which burst principally on the north of Mill Crater...

No machine gun fire was encountered on the right, and very little on the left. The wire on the right was thin and presented no serious obstacle, but on the left three belts of wire were encountered. All parties were in the enemy trench by Zero hour plus three minutes...

Six dug-out we bombed and destroyed with mobile charges which proved remarkably effective... two of the dug-outs were known to be occupied by the occupants who would not come out.’

The M.M. was published in the London Gazette 26 March 1917.

Proceeding with the Battalion to Arras in April 1917, Thomas was killed in action in the Fresnoy area on 8 May 1917; he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Arras Memorial, France.

Military Medal; Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal; King’s South Africa 1901-1902, 2 clasps; South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902; 1914-15 Star; British War and Victory Medals.