Military History

Theatre of War	Medals	Commonwealth War Grave or Memorial
France and Flanders	1914 Star, British War & Victory Medals
Arrived in Theatre	Medal Citation (if app)	SWFHS Area Memorials
2 Oct 1914	~	Radway
Action, Battle or Other Reason Killed	Date and Place Enlisted Date	Other War Memorials
Battle of Amiens	September 1914 at Oxford
Place of Death	Previous Regiments or Units
Caix	Former Service # 2066

Circumstances Leading to Death (Normally from War Diary)           

At 2.15 p.m. [8th Aug 1918] the Cavalry Corps commander, hearing that the 3rd Cavalry Division was held up at Beaucourt, ordered General Pitman to send two brigades forward to capture the ridge south of Caix. The 3rd and 4th Cavalry Brigades moved off immediately, the 4th leading. They advanced about 5 miles, trotting and cantering, on a two-regiment front, well extended, the Oxford Hussars leading on the right. The Regiment crossed the river Luce at Caix, galloped the ridge and took Point 95, 1,000 yards south of Caix, without opposition.

The Division then attempted to push on eastwards, but the line Beaufort-Warvillers-Vrély-Rosières was strongly held by the enemy and further progress was impossible. About 5 p.m. the Regiment was ordered to proceed to the valley north of Caix, as the enemy were reported to be massing for a counter-attack from Rosières-en-Santerre. Here they remained till 9.30 p.m., when they were ordered to withdraw and bivouac in a valley near Harbonnières.

At some stage during the battle Thomas was wounded and died of those wounds on 10th August 1918 and was eventually buried at Villers-Bretonneux Cemetery.

Courtesy of Adrian Keith-Falconer. OXFORDSHIRE HUSSARS IN THE GREAT WAR 1914-1918. Naval and Military Press. Kindle Edition