260078 Henry Thomas British Army Royal Field Artillery My wife's grandfather, Thomas Davis, joined up 18th of April 1917 and was posted to France as part of the Royal Artillery (Garrison Battalion). We believe he was serving at Passchendaele. In Sept 1917 when he was injured and suffered a gun shot wound to his face and his left hand was severed at the wrist.
Initially, treated at Le Treport, France and subsequently transferred to Military Hospital in Torquay, He spent some time here before being discharged on 11th of Oct 1918. By coincidence the 11th Oct is my wife's birthday.
Unfortunately, my wife never got to talk to him about his experiences and only knew him with one hand and a "hook" or "utensil". While researching her family tree, we found a photograph of her grandmother with a man that my wife did not recognise because he had two hands.
Imagine her consternation in realising that it was her grandfather prior to joining up and being wounded. We still recount this tale within the family with some amusement at her expense.
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