258720 Pte. Samuel Augustus Stewart Thomas British Army 2/1st Btn. Oxfordfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry from:Wrexham (d.19th July 1916) Stewart Thomas served as a signaller with the the 2/1st (Buckinghamshire) Battalion, Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry (TF) during the Great War. He was born in Moss, Wrexham on 8th of March 1899, the son of Alexander Augustus Stewart and Florence Helena (nee Williams) Thomas. His father, a native of Worsley in Manchester was a regular soldier, who rose to the rank of regimental sergeant major in 4th Battalion, Grenadier Guards. His mother was originally from Bryn Mally, Summerhill. Siblings: Hephzie Florence (b 1897, Moss; d 1905), Leslie Victor (b 1902, London; d 1978, Macclesfield), Francis Lloyd (b 1903, Aldershot; d 1986, Wrexham), Vera Mary (b b 1906, Aldershot), Alun Robert (b 1908, Windsor; d 1983, Havering), Meryl Eileen (b 1910, Slough; d 1975, Wrexham), Frederick Glyn (b 1912, Windsor; d 1988, Wrexham) and Brian Alexander (b 1913, Windsor; d 1991).
In 1901, the family was living in the Victoria Barracks in Windsor and by 1911, in Langley, Berkshire where Alexander, having retired from the army, was employed as a clerk manager in a copper mining business until his death on 15th of March 1915, after which Florence returned to live in Wrexham, residing at 15 Maesgwyn Road.
Stewart was educated in army schools in England and India, and at Langley Council School and Slough Secondary School. He volunteered for military service and was enlisted in the Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry on 8th of February 1915, aged only 15 years and 11 months. At this time the official age for recruitment was 18 years. Clearly under-age, Stewart must have volunteered with the consent of at least one parent and, as his father died only a month later, his efforts must have been supported by his mother.
He was posted to 2/1st Battalion (TF) which had been formed at Aylesbury, in September 1914 as a second-line unit. It moved to Northampton in January 1915 and was part of 184 Brigade, 61st (2nd South Midland) Division. It then moved to Writtle and them Broomfield in Essex in April. In January 1916, it moved to Parkhouse Camp on Salisbury Plain before embarking on active service to France on 25th of May 1916.
With the battalion being originally designated for home defence, it was not intended that it should go on active service, therefore, when it did so, all those men under-age should have been retained at the depot. Stewart however, embarked with the battalion in May, aged 16 years and 2 months.
In the first week of July, the battalion moved to the right sub-section of the Somme front at Ferme de Bois in the area around Richebourge St Vaast. On the 15th in moved back to Laventie in preparation for an attack that took place on 19th of July.
During the last phase of the bombardment the infantry moved out through Rhondda Sap at 17.40 hours into No Man's Land in four waves. At 18.00 they assaulted the German trenches. An RFC observer described the advance as "Magnificent", adding that no man was seen to waver. The German defensive fire was, however, lethal and their machine guns mowed down the advancing men and by 18.30 it was clear that the attack had failed.
2/1st Oxs & Bucks casualties were 4 officers and 62 other ranks killed, 1 officer died of wounds, 8 officers and 180 other ranks wounded, 2 officers and 65 other ranks missing (believed killed). Stewart Thomas was serving as a signaller in the battalion and was declared missing, believed killed in action during the attack. The officer commanding the signalling section wrote to Mrs Thomas:
"Your son (who by reason of his smartness at work and cheerful good nature was loved and respected by all) died as unselfishly and nobly as he lived. Your boy had before him on the 19th about the hardest task a man could be called upon to do, viz., to go into the thick of a fearful action as practically a non-combatant, and consequently with none of that excitement and lust to get at the Hun, to help and banish fear. But he banished fear without that, and went out cheerfully with his comrades in order that when it became necessary for them to ask for help or more ammunition, he might be on the spot to do it for them with his telephone." [De Ruvigny's Roll of Honour, v3]
Stewart Thomas has no known grave and is commemorated on the Loos Memorial to the Missing. He was aged 17 and was awarded the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal. His name is recorded on the Borough War Memorial, the Parish Church Memorial, the Wrexham & East Denbighshire War Memorial Hospital Roll of Honour, the North Wales Heroes Memorial and the Langley War Memorial (Berkshire).
|